Drifter
by Anightgirl
Summary: Another walker happens upon Adam's territory. Trouble always follows a walker, especially this one, who knows the extent of her powers. -All characters and the world belong to Patricia Briggs etc. standard I don't own stuff here.
1. Chapter 1 The Chase

This is not my world, it is a spin off of the amazing world of Patricia Briggs. See her amazing books for lots of fun!

_Run!_

Everything in her told her to run she had to, but he was gaining on her and she couldn't get away…damn vampires always a thorn in her side, but she'd escaped them for nearly 25 years and they weren't about to catch her now. Glancing behind her she could make out the creature as it hunted her, thankfully this one hadn't been given the gift of speed, her mind flashing back to a few months earlier, man that chase had been a rude awakening. One that had pushed her to join a gym where ever she was and spend hours running on the treadmills, vampires hated gyms, too many humans and mirrors, so she could run uninterrupted. He was still gaining though, damn he is a persistent bastard.

Thankfully, she had gotten into the habit of seeking out the territory lines every time she entered a new domain, the vampires marked them with magic, magic created from the blood of their victims, whose ghosts liked to hang out where they were murdered. Scanning the darkness in front of her she saw it, a ghost motioning quickly to her calling her to the line. The ghosts liked her, wanted her to live, she was a hunter of their murderers and they helped her as often as they could.

Glancing behind her again the vampire was only 20 or 30 feet behind, not stupid enough to meet his eyes she looked at his broad chest and dug her feet into the earth. She was going to win again, this time. She heard the ghost cheer for her as she passed the line and then taunt the vampire that couldn't hear him. She chuckled as the vampire hit the barrier although her laugh was mistakenly premature, she suddenly slammed into the furry side of a much larger animal.

Dazed, but not entirely knocked cold she stumbled to her feet and looked up meeting the golden eyes of a very large, very powerful werewolf. She immediately took off running the sideline of the border not daring to cross again knowing the werewolf was much easier to outrun than the vampire who had not yet given up and was now following along with her hissing violently at his missed opportunity. Her magic sense kept her on the correct side of the boarder as her eyes searched for the wet scent on the wind. Just ahead she could see it, a river, finally some luck tonight, the werewolf wouldn't be able to swim it.

Renewed energy surged through her as she reached the bank and jumped into the river as far as she could landing in the middle and then swam in the direction of the opposite shore. Her hope died though as she watched the large black beast land on the shoreline, how in the hell did he make that jump? She turned around and saw a coyote on the shore she just left. Looking in the direction of the stream she saw the vampire waiting as she drifted towards the magical border. With an angry growl she spun around and began swimming against the current. Fine mess she was in, werewolf, coyote and vampire surrounding her and the only way she could go was upstream, and she was already tired, she'd never make it far against the current. Weighing her options for another moment she sighed and realized there was only one option, the coyote she could take, hopefully faster than the wolf could get enough speed to clear the water again.

She reached the bank not bother to shake the cold water from her fur and prepared for the fight. The coyote was growling at her, but she was bigger and faster, she could take the dog. She lunged not going for the obvious kill attack, instead landing a perfectly sound jaw across the coyote's hindquarter and pulling at the tissue, just enough to slow it so she could get away. From across the river she heard a vicious growl followed by a sound that brought all her fear to the foreground, the howl of an Alpha to his pack.

Releasing the coyote she turned quickly and bolted away from the borderline, she had to get away, she couldn't afford to let the living vampire see her human identity; she had to escape. The Alpha crashed to the other side of the river again intense determination in his resounding footsteps. He let out another howl and this time the wind delivered an answer, oh no… this is not good she thought to herself, cursing her stupidity, maybe the vampire would have been the better option. Darting across a field and leaping up over a fence she saw an house in front of her, to her left she heard a second set of paws hitting the earth and a third closing in from the front right. Damn it, this is what they do, the one wolf, even an Alpha she may have been able to shake, but not multiples, this is how they hunt. Knowing she couldn't take them head on she did what the one on the right was telling her to and let herself be herded to the left more. Breathing hard she finally noticed what her nose had been screaming at her, the territory smelled strong of the Alpha behind her, this is his territory.

Running behind the house she glimpsed a young girl staring out the window. Wow, this Alpha has a kid, interesting. She was nearing exhaustion and with 2 more wolves on her there was no way she was going to get out of this, excited yelps and barks signaling to move in all around her. In front of her was a car, a broken down VW Beetle if she had to guess. There was only one thing to do, shift and hope to some god they wouldn't kill a human. She leapt over the car and at the apex of her jump began to shift, damn this was going to hurt. At the very last moment, right before she tucked for landing she looked at the ground and saw yet another large wolf. Next thing she knew she was landing on him full force, knocking them both to the ground. He rolled with the fall and tossed her off him, sharp claws digging into her shoulder blades; great more scars she thought as she hit the ground, not like they will matter when she's dead. Covering her head with her arms she let the momentum take her and scrambled to her knees, naked and bleeding she didn't dare look up at the pack circling her, merely stayed low and whimpered as she tried to catch her breath, mimicking a pleading sound canines make to avoid punishment. Her fear, she had to control her fear; they were feeding on it. Willing herself calm she pushed it away as she shimmied backwards wishing she had a tail to tuck to show more submission.

Quickly, too quickly she heard the Alpha's heavy step and whimpered again. He did not stop when he got near; instead he used his large body to push her off balance to her back. She kept her eyes closed and exposed her neck which he gladly took in his large jaws. She yelped in pain but did not move as the wolf held himself there, small drops of blood escaping from the holes his canines had started. After quite a few minutes she heard a set of human steps limping through the tall grassy field.

"Adam," a woman's voice, "Adam don't. Let her go, I'll be fine." Adam… why did she know that name in association with werewolves?

Surprisingly, the Alpha released his grip but stayed above her placing a large paw on her chest pinning her to the ground and growling continuously. The other wolves around him growled at her also, waiting for their Alpha's command to attack.

"So," the woman again though this time located directly above her head, "you want to explain to me why you are running through our territory and why exactly you felt it necessary to attack me?"

When she didn't answer the Alpha pressed on her chest letting a single claw pierce the skin. She finally opened her eyes and looked directly at the woman. The woman, completely naked like herself, looked like a mix between Native American and something else she couldn't quite place. She was littered in tattoos, the only one clear from this angle though was a wolf print on her stomach.

"Vampires." She gasped under the large black paw, after a moment she was barely able to continue, "Not meaning to offend, but I can't breathe."

The Alpha released her and placed himself between the women. She gasped for air and flipped over to her knees scurrying backwards until she felt a large fur wall stopping her. She glanced behind her and the red wolf there growl and nipped at her before she turned back.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry, I had to escape." Keeping her head down and not looking anywhere she just kept repeating the phrase straining for each breath.

"Come on," the woman's voice had command to it, but it was soft and warm. "Let's get inside the house. My name is Mercedes Thompson." That name, she knew that name too, Mercedes….the raped girlfriend of an Alpha…Oh hell she thought as her brain clicked the pieces together… she just ran herself into Adam Hauptman's territory.


	2. Chapter 2 Clean

Slowly and on shaky legs she lifted herself from the ground. When she stumbled and fell back onto her knees the red wolf behind her pressed his large wet nose into the torn flesh his teeth had recently visited.

"Ow! Hey, knock it off." She said quietly but firmly to the beast.

The Alpha spun and stared at her to which she averted her eyes; she wasn't stupid enough or rested enough to play a dominance game with him now. His fur made a soft rustle as he turned his gaze to the other wolf and growled. The red wolf moved next to her and braced himself offering his body as support to get her off the ground. Refusing to take the offering she stood up and brushed off her knees and began walking; wincing with each step as the ground pinched her tender human feet.

As she walked she became very aware of her nudity among the wolves, not that they weren't used to seeing the nude form, shifters of any type always are it is part of what they are, but she was still aware of how she must look. Her waist length black hair knotted and sticking to her sweating form, blood dripping down her body in various spots and dirt covering her, she probably looked almost as shitty as she felt. She straightened her stance and walked a little more firmly as the thoughts of her scars came to her mind. At times she wished she didn't have them, vanity aside though there were instances, like here, that she was proud of them. The white markings in her skin symbolize the battles she has been through, how much she has suffered and survived while full-filling her purpose.

At the door to the house the woman walked in first, followed by the Alpha who sat and watched the captive enter cautiously sparing a quick glance behind, looking at the driveway and the escape route she was abandoning. The remaining 3 wolves blocked any means of retreat so she reluctantly entered. The house was amazing they entered into a large living room that could easily hold an entire pack, the hardwood entryway was blissfully cool on her sore feet. Through another opening was a kitchen, most likely as large as the living room, hallways and staircases leading both up and down.

"Ben," the woman stated and the red wolf stepped forward, "Take her downstairs to a bathroom there and get her cleaned up. Adam wants her washed before we eat."

The remark struck an odd cord, the Alpha was still in wolf form, how could this woman possibly know what he wanted done? She almost opened her mouth to ask but thought better to save prying questions for a decision on whether or not she was going to die.

The other wolves started to shift back to their human forms, the sounds of growling and popping, as muscles and bones relocated, began to fill the house. The young girl from the window poked her head around the corner and smiled weakly but skirted back quickly as the sounds grew louder. The red wolf nudged the new woman's hand and when she didn't respond, her eyes locked fully on the changing wolves, he abruptly took her wrist in his mouth biting hard enough to pull her focus to him. She looked at him and winced but he would not release. He led her, as a human would lead a pet, through the living room to the stairway and motioned her down. At the bottom of stairs he placed himself next to an open door and half-barked, half-growled indicating she was to go in. Keeping her steps slow to scan the area she headed in his direction.

This house was a pack den without a doubt, that much was obvious. They were in another large living room with 3 small rooms off to one side. Across from the stairs was another room, this one, unlike the rest of the house was sparsely decorated with strong wood furniture inside and a very reinforced door with a large bolt on the outside, ah the freak out room she chuckled to herself. Wolves, always on the verge of murder, needed to be penned sometimes to keep them from killing each other.

She entered the bathroom and it was much larger than she expected. The shower was big enough to hold at least 3 grown men with a shower curtain instead of a sliding door, easier to get the injured in and out and less likely to hurt if someone got thrown through. The wolf followed her in and pawed at a cabinet door. When she opened it she found large brown towels and other various bathing necessities. She grabbed what she needed and looked at the wolf waiting.

"Well," she said when he didn't move, "can I shower in private at least?" She smacked the solid wall next to her, "It's not like I'm going anywhere in here." The wolf stared at her and nodded his head stepping outside the door which she promptly closed and locked. Chuckling to herself she mocked her own stupidity, "Yeah 'cause the lock will keep them all out," she muttered hearing what sounded like it could only be a snarfing growl laugh from the wolf in response.

The water hurt but was amazing, almost too hot at first she had to fidget with the temperature until it was comfortable. Washing away the dirt and sweat was priority one, two was making sure that the wounds she had received from the wolves and sliding across the ground were clean. The strong soap stung everywhere her flesh was torn nearly bring tears to her eyes when she attempted to contort herself in an effort to reach the claw marks on her shoulder blades.

Not wishing to keep her captures waiting she hurried along and finished the shower drying her hair and wrapping the towel around her, the house was a bit on the cool side but she would adjust when the heat of the water wore off. She actually preferred the cold to heat, you can always find more clothes or start a fire, you can only get so naked in the heat. She unlocked the door and opened it not wanting to startle the wolf waiting for her, but what she saw shocked her instead.

"Oh!" she muttered as she looked at the man sitting in the chair he had pulled to the door. He stood up un-phased by his nudity and smirked before walking into the bathroom.

"Turn around and let me bandage your wounds correctly so you don't bleed all over our Alpha's home." Surprisingly there was an English accent in his voice, unexpected and unique in a wolf in this area. He put a hand on her and spun her before she could protest her beast side screaming at the fact that her back was turned to the enemy. He dropped to a squatting position and lifted the towel to take a look at the mark he had left there. Fear began to well up inside and her legs shook a hand darted to the counter for support.

"Sorry about this," he said as the sound of a drawer opening and bandages being removed gave her something to focus on. "I got a little carried away; you really pissed him off with what you pulled out there." Quickly and expertly he cleaned and bandaged the bite mark and stood up to work on her shoulders. Almost painfully he pulled her massive amounts of hair to one side, draping it over her shoulder muttering about women and their need for unnecessarily long hair. She glanced at the mirror quickly and he followed her head movement briefly locking eyes in the reflection. Before looking down she noticed that his eyes were still angry flicking between wolf and human; the hair on her neck rose as she tried to hold still for him.

"You don't stop freaking out you're going to set me off so do us both a favor and Calm. The. Fuck. Down." The warning was growled quietly in her ear. She nodded and focused on pulling herself together as she had outside in the dirt.

"Sorry," was all she muttered.

When he finished with her shoulders he spun her around and grabbed her chin firmly. Pushing her hair back again he moved her head to the side examining the cuts. Satisfied she wasn't going to bleed out, Adam had been overly kind to her by not killing her on the spot in his opinion, he grabbed the top of the towel and pulled it open enough to expose the large bruise on her chest. Looking it over he huffed to himself and nodded.

"You'll live for now, come on." He turned and headed towards the door. As he turned out the light he remarked coolly. "Interesting eyes." She readjusted the towel tucking it in tightly and followed him to the stairs.

She often forgot about her eyes, and how so many people, especially common humans, couldn't stand to make eye contact with her for long. Part of that was the animal inside, but the other was that her eyes were two different colors. Her right was a nearly perfect violet color and the left was a brilliant green. She imagined that people felt like she had a lazy eye, not knowing exactly which eye to focus on while talking to her.

"Mercy!" His abrupt stop at the bottom and loud voice brought her back to reality.

"Yes Ben?"

"She's clean and bandaged; she needs clothes. Can I hit the shower?"

"Sure, send her up." He gave her a mock bow and motioned to the stairs and headed to the bathroom they just left.

"Save me a steak Mercy, I'm starving," he yelled before shutting the door the sound of the water turning on blocked out his humming.

At the top of the stairs stood a man who looked like he belonged in a classic cowboy movie, not cheesy though, just the right amount of cowboy. Undoubtedly, he was one of the wolves that had chased her and her stomach gave a little flutter as she made some crass connection between cowboys and riding. She chastised herself for thinking about that at a time like this but honestly how could she not. She'd always had a thing for wolves, well werewolves at least, their power and strength made her melt. When she reached the top his nostrils flared obviously scenting her. A look of surprise followed by a chuckle and then he leaned in to whisper. "You're gorgeous girly, but I'm gay. Thanks for the compliment."

"Warren," a warning voice from the kitchen. "Stop it."

"Sorry Boss, just lettin' her know where she stands, don't want to break her heart and all." The obvious mocking tone in his voice infuriated her and she quickly locked eyes with him holding him there.

Yup, this was stupid of me she thought as she settled into the battle and refused to back down. He entered the challenge stepping forward only a few inches away from her.

"Back down girl, you don't want to play this game with me." There was no growl in the threat, only the same taunting as before.

Oh this one is going to win, she though and stood still as she kept him locked there watching every detail of his irises as they began to lighten and color. After what seemed like hours, but in reality it was no more than 2 or 3 minutes she heard that guttural warning growl of the Alpha. Realizing her back was exposed to him she conceded and apologized to Warren. She walked into the kitchen and looked around her gaze stopping on Mercy instead of Adam.

"Come on, you need clothes." Mercy led her down a hallway into what seemed a guest room, Adam followed close behind stalking her. "What size bra?" Mercy asked as she rummaged through a large dresser.

"Umm… 36C." she stated back as Mercy handed her clothes.

"Hurry up. You've ruined my evening as it is." Adam barked from the doorframe and hurry she did. Not worrying about modesty she quickly donned a pair of sweats, a bra and a long sleeve T. She declined the socks she was offered explaining her preference for bare feet. When she was dressed she was handed a brush and a hair tie then led back to the kitchen.

Adam pointed at a talk kitchen stool, one of the fancy ones with a back, and commanded she sit. She did although slowly and to the left more favoring her right cheek and the wounds there. After he said nothing for a few minutes and Mercy continued preparing the food, both ignoring that she was there, she began to brush her hair working out the knots. Another man walked in off the porch with a pan full of steaks and the smell of the grill hit her like a ton of bricks making her waver slightly in her seat and her stomach growled loudly.

"So what is your name?" Mercy stated clearly and loudly as she noticed the woman's waver, food was good, food could be held over her till they got their answers.

"Huh?" The steaks smelled so good she couldn't focus.

"Your name? What is it?" Mercy became a bit more demanding and reached over snapping her fingers in front of the stranger that had ruined their night.

"Oh, um, sorry. Nallely (nal EL ee). But no one can ever say it right so you can just call me Ely if you want." She shrugged and secretly thanked Mercy for pulling her out of her fog. Her arms lifted and she quickly began a reverse French braid in her hair the fingers flying through the motions.

Ben walked up the stairs, dressed now, and set the table. When he was done he sat at one of the chairs and blurted out. "So the biddy is behaving now, let's eat, that chase got me hungry!"

The two other males, the young girl, Mercy and Adam all began to pull steaks, potatoes, and a salad from the bowls in the center of the table. Before sitting down Adam walked to Ely and dropped a plate in front of her and a bottle of water. "Eat."


	3. Chapter 3 Boo!

Okay so I must first apologize for any and all spelling and grammar errors. I am horrible about proofing my own work and going back and reading I am finding some I missed but instead of focusing on correcting what has been done I am moving onward with more fun!

I hope everyone is enjoying themselves so far, I sure am. I don't know where this is going or what is happening… I kind of just kept replaying the cool intro scene in my head and it has since started a wild fire I can't stop.

Anyways… ON with the story!

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Ely sat patiently watching Adam out of the corner of her eye as he took his place at the head of the table. The others began eating and her mouth watered at the thought of the meat in front of her. He watched her for a minute before cutting into his steak and taking a bite. As soon as the meat passed his lips her hands flew to the silverware and she began to indulge in the food. He smiled to himself at what had just happened before beginning typical dinner conversation with his daughter.

Her name was Jesse and she was obviously leading the conversation into the realm of turning 16 and getting her driver's license. Ely smiled at the girl who worked her father so well. As big and powerful as he was this girl was his world, that much was obvious; he would deny her nothing. She had to stifle her laugh with more potatoes when the daughter and father began to battle over the type of car the girl would be receiving. She wanted something cute and sporty, a new two-door Accord or a Cadalliac CTS. Her father told her no and told her only a sensible vehicle that could survive an accident and protect her, something larger, a nice SUV of some sort. The girl whined in the typical teenage fashion but it lacked the ring of a spoiled brat and instead was flavored with a young woman who knew the game. She tried to involve the other wolves in the debate, tugging at their heart strings to win them to her side of the debate.

"Come on Warren, you're gay, you know all about style and fashion! Can you imagine me in an SUV??" She made a playfully disgusted face.

Warren lifted an eyebrow at her. "Jesse my sexual preference has nothing to do with it. Besides, your dad is right, an SUV will be great. I mean you really want to try to get an injured wolf in the back of a two-door at 2 am?" He chuckled and smiled at her as if she was a little sister.

"Ugh! No way, I'm not going to start carting you four-leggers around everywhere just because I'm the only one that doesn't shift. That's so not fair!" she replied back mocking him.

Ben sat at the table laughing to his plate before joining in, taking her side. "Yeah SUV is too much gas anyways, prices are way too high for gas now a days."

"Yeah! See Dad! Ben agrees! It will save you money!" she reached over and rubbed Ben's arm in an effort to solidify the army she was amassing against her parental tyrant, he flinched slightly at the touch but looked up with a smile.

"I said no Jesse." Adam stood his ground but the light in his eyes betrayed him. Yes, she would get the car she wanted, in the color she wanted, most likely with a bow wrapped around it on the morning of her birthday.

The conversation turned to other topics of the girl's life for a few minutes eventually landing on which movie she and her boyfriend were going to see on Friday. It was followed by which actor in said movie she thought was hotter than the other. She dragged Mercy into the conversation and eventually Warren for a moment.

"So what about you?" Jesse asked and looked directly at Ely. Absorbed in enjoying the last bite of her food and having been ignored to this point Ely didn't even realize she was being spoken to. "Hey, Ely was it? What about you? What do you think of Stuart Townsend?"

Ely shook her head and looked at the teen. "Me? Oh, no way, I lose all interest in actors once they play vampires." She shuttered visibly. "Besides he's too scrawny for me, I'd break him. I prefer my men more feral, like… Vin Diesel, or Hugh Jackman tall, dark, and undeniably handsome. Mmmhmmm… the things I could…"

"Excuse me?" There was a warning tone in Adam's voice. "She's 15, could you not get into descriptions around her?" It wasn't actually a question, but Jesse giggled in the background.

"Oh, yeah." She got up slowly from the stool, her ass screaming at the movement after having been seated for so long. She rinsed her plate in the sink and grabbed the sponge washing the dishes slowly as she looked out the window.

"She's got a point though." Warren chuckled trying to break the tension and get the conversation going again.

"Warren, don't help." Warmth back in his voice Adam watched Ely as she went through the after dinner routine. At least she was polite and semi-behaved in someone else's house.

The sound of the phone ringing made her jump and when no one moved to answer it the ringing began to hurt her ears. The answering machine picked it up eventually letting a soft female voice carry through the air.

"Adammmm…" There was a cold purr in the voice that made every hair on Ely's neck stand straight up, vampire. "We need to talk darling. The domain next door told me your walker is causing trouble. We had an agreement." There was a still pause and the voice became lighter and more playful. "Call me!"

The room went silent and Ely's shoulders slouched forward in an attempt to make herself smaller.

"Well that was delicious love." Adam stated and leaned in kissing Mercy ignoring the phone call that had just occurred.

"Always is," stated the wolf that had carried in the steaks.

"Yup." Ben said flatly and got up to clear his plate.

He walked to the sink and set the plate next to it. "Do me a favor luv and wash that up." The tone in his voice was belittling but Nallely let it side responding with a nod. "Thanks girl." He stated sharply and with a quick flick of his wrist landed a stinging slap on her ass right where he had bitten her. She yelped in pain and turned around growling her hand forcefully grabbing the offending appendage placing heavy pressure on the underside of the wrist where it was most sensitive.

"Never touch me again wolf." She growled the words out as she strengthened her stance and leaned in shoving him back a step.

He reciprocated the growl fiercely but neither would lock the other's eyes knowing what would happen if they pushed each other. His shoulder found the bruise in her chest and she gasped at the fresh pain.

In the background Jesse had scrambled to her feet and was rushing to pull them apart grabbing onto Ely. Adam, seeing his daughter's movements, flew into the middle of the scene. He slid between the teen and the arguing pair. "Get Jesse." He commanded and Warren grabbed the girl pulling her back.

"Dad stop them! She's injured! It's not fair!"

The reminder that she was injured infuriated her more and Ben's free hand reached up and grabbed her neck. Nallely felt the magic and power welling up inside of her as she called for assistance. She could feel the spirits of the area coming to her call, at this point she knew her own eyes were shifting from the violet and green to the brilliant blue her magic caused. Ben shoved her back against the sink being sure to lift her enough that the counter caught the wound again, his grip tightened as he breathed hard.

"ENOUGH!" Yelled Adam. He grabbed each by the back of their heads. To Ben he turned and Ely saw the Alpha work the lesser wolf, magic dripping from one to the other. Looking directly at Ben eyes he barked a command to behave and calm down. As he did the lights in the house began to flicker and the dishes in the kitchen began to shake.

Turning to Ely his hand now firmly wrapped in the long braid he pulled her to her knees as a pan flew off the counter towards his side and he batted it away as if it were a bug. Staring her in the eyes he stated coldly, "You are not scoring well tonight Nallely. Downstairs, everyone, playing nice is over we're going to figure out what they hell you have dragged us into woman. Jesse, go watch a movie." The teen sighed and left the room muttering to herself.

Ely was scared of course and she didn't bother to hide it she also didn't bother to hide that she was enjoying it. There was a small part of her that loved pushing Alphas, feeling the power, and this one, he had power.

Mercy moved into her vision and stared for a few moments her nostrils flaring before she leaned over and said hoarsely, "He is MINE." Adam chuckled at the declaration softening for a moment as he looked at his obvious mate. As he steered her downstairs Ely began to call off the spirits in the house.

"What are you saying?" Adam asked quickly.

"I'm telling them to go away."

"Who."

"The ghosts I called to me to assist in defense against your wolf." She said flatly.


	4. Chapter 4 So it begins

When they reached the bottom of the stairs Adam released his grip on Ely's hair and motioned to a chair. She took the chair and leaned back relaxing for just a moment before straightening herself.

"Well?" Adam asked when the others had taken a seat.

"Well what?" She knew what he wanted but making him ask would put her in a better position during the conversation.

"Well, what the hell are you?"

Ely smiled slightly her eyes brightening as if they too were smiling at the group. She turned her attention from Adam to Mercy.

"Me? I'm a walker, like your mate." On the word mate her eyes landed back on Adam.

"What? " The disbelief evident in Mercy's voice, "That's not possible. You most certainly were not a coyote when you attacked me."

Ely couldn't help but laugh. "You think you are the only one of us out there? That's awfully…" she broke the thought mid sentence, her eyes going wide as they stared at the other woman. "you don't know what you are. Well that makes more sense now."

Mercy glared at Nallely as she taunted her with the fact that Ely could possibly know more about Mercy than Mercy did.

"You're not coyote, what are you?" Adam's voice was strong as it broke the staring and pulled the conversation forward.

"I told you, I'm a Walker, but not of Brother Coyote. I am aligned with the Cougar, Puma, Mountain Lion, whichever you wish to use they are all the same. The only true difference is the wording depending on which part of the continent you are from. "

"We are not all coyotes. Coyote was not the only spirit to bless his people. All of the major totem animals, and a few of the minor ones placed aspects of themselves within their beloved tribes. "

"Explain." Adam's voice had gone from threatening and directive to calm and inquisitive almost instantly.

Ely looked at each of the wolves stopping on the one that had cooked the steaks realizing she didn't know him yet.

"What is your name wolf?"

He returned the question with a glance in Adam's direction who in turn nodded his approval for the question to be answered.

"Darryl nice to meet you."

"And you Darryl."

"Stop wasting time and explain." Ely ignored Adam for the most part and instead moved in her chair to see across the room and up the stairs.

"Jessie, you might as well come down instead of sneaking around."

Adam stood quickly and turned to the stairs. "Jessie, I told you to go." Mercy placed a hand on his arm causing him to breath slowly. "Fine, get down here, but sit quietly and if I tell you to go I mean GO." Jessie scrambled down the stairs and sat close to Warren on the couch her face full of surprise. Adam turned back indicating for Ely to continue.

"I just did, I am a walker. I walk with Cougar as my totem. Your mate obviously walks with Coyote although by the look on her face she doesn't have a full understanding of what she is."

Ely was having too much fun poking at the young walker, this situation did not arrive often and she was going to enjoy it while she could.

"Why is it exactly that you think walkers exist Mercy?"

Mercy thought for a moment and answered smartly. "Well I'm not exactly sure, I know vampires hunt us down so most likely it has something to do with them, we kill them I suppose."

"Have you? Killed any?" Ely asked

"Yeah two vampires, one vampire sorcerer demon thing and one werewolf, but he was an accident, I bit his throat and he didn't take time to heal before bleeding to death."

"Ah. And the vampires? How did you kill them?"

"The usual; cutting off the heads, staking, and burning them."

"I see, well congratulations and well done. "

Ely pulled her legs under her and began unwinding her long braid.

"We are not meant to hunt vampires, we have adapted that as our primary role, but take a moment and think back to what you learned in history class. Europeans have been on this continent for what 250ish years or so? We didn't suddenly appear when the vampires did. No we had a purpose before that."

"What was it?" Mercy asked her elbows resting on her knees.

"We were the shamans, medicine people of our tribes. We were the ones who guided others on their journeys for totem spirits and who conversed with the ghosts of our ancestors for guidance and assistance. We speak to spirits, see their magic, use their powers to fuel our own."

She paused as she ran her fingers through her black hair.

"Before the vampires, before our current role, we were almost as rare as we are now. Not every tribe was home to a walker. Those tribes that housed a walker were luckier, more skilled in battles, healthier. When the Europeans came and began to destroy our people so did the vampires."

"Why though? Why do the vampires hunt us? What did we do?" If Mercy leaned any further forward she was going to fall out of her chair.

"Because Mercy, that was when we started to hunt them, when they realized what a threat we were and how dangerous we could be. "

Ely yawned and stretched a little.

"All walkers have similar powers in the area of spirits and communication. But each totem animal gives that walker special unique powers. Those who walk with Brother Eagle have the ability to see better than any creature on the planet, whether in Eagle or human form those walkers are able to see not only physical, but spiritual evidence left on an area. They are able to witness events long past simply by focusing their sharp eyesight."

"Wow." It was whispered softly from the couch and Jessie realized everyone had heard and snapped her mouth shut praying not to be shooed up the stairs again.

Ely wriggled back into the soft chair.

"So that is our history, an abbreviated version at least. Your more pressing question though, what have I gotten you mixed up in? Well that was an error of judgment on my part and I apologize for it. I was stalking that vampire's lover for over a month. I found his lair, destroyed him and the mortals in his nest, dropped into my Walker form and was leaving when the second caught me leaving the scene of the cleansing. I had realized as soon as I got outside that I had taken longer than I had wanted and since the one would most likely know I had killed the other he arrived almost as soon as I had exited the house. "

She yawned again and stood up quickly. All of the wolves tensed as she moved and Ely smiled, the thrill of having so much power baited on her words making her excited even though the long night was beginning to wear on her. She would give anything for a nice warm sunbeam to lie in right now. Shrugging to herself she lightly stepped up onto the chair and moved in a small circle before sliding down gracefully with no strain showing in her lean muscular legs.

"I'm no fool, I know I can take a vampire if absolutely necessary, but this one had the jump on me. I was stupid and had already bid the spirits to go so would not have the assistance needed as fast and was required of the situation. As the vampire realized I had killed his boyfriend pure rage began to stream off him. My only choice in that situation was to run. Death is not on the top of my to do list right now and taking him, alone, in that state would have been extremely difficult. So I ran."

"Yeah into us." Mercy said sharply.

"Yes," Ely shrugged again. "That was the closest borderline and I knew he wouldn't be able to follow me. Slamming into the side of a waiting Alpha and his mate was not in the plan though and when I hit you I panicked. Crossing the border again would have put me in range of the vampire and you both are not held in place by the magic used so it would have been three on one."

She lifted her arms above her head stretching every muscle, even down to her fingertips, very slowly.

"What I didn't anticipate was Adam here being able to clear that jump. So there I am in the middle of the river which is drifting me back in the vampire's direction, a werewolf on one bank and a coyote on the other. Upstream, was not an option so I took the one I could, the coyote. You are smaller, slower and not as efficient of a predator in that form. I took care not to kill you, just slow you down enough to let me get further from the vampire. "

This part of the conversation was agitating both Mercy and Adam. Adam had a low growl in his throat as Ely spoke of killing Mercy and Mercy had sat upright one arm resting across the back of her chair and rolling her eyes.

"I could NOT let that vampire know my human form, I have NEVER allowed that to happen and that is probably a large portion of why I have hunted so long and not yet been destroyed. Part of hunting, of truly understanding the role of a predator is to know how to keep bigger predators off your back. I know you wolves may not have that problem since aside from other shifters and the occasional vampire you are the top of the food chain but for others we need to stay invisible. If he had seen me he would have already shared the memory of my image with the master or mistress of his seethe and knowing I came into this territory that one most likely would have shared it with the one who called you."

Ely stopped for a moment, her eyes landing on Mercy again.

"Why is it a vampire Mistress allows you to walk this domain freely? She has fully knowledge of who and what you are and has not killed you."

Mercy made a pfft sound before she spoke. "She's tried a little, but she's had bigger issues to deal with and well she owes me since I've helped her on occasion."

At the announcement that Mercy had helped the vampire Ely gave no indication of the intense dissatisfaction and disgust she now felt. Knowing wolves all too well though she didn't doubt they could all smell the emotions.

"Ah I see. Watch for the day she betrays you."

"Anyways," she continued. "You know the rest of the story. We're now sitting here waiting for what you will do next Adam. My suggestion to you would be to release me, let me leave the area and tell the vampire that called you that once you realized I was trouble you kicked me from the territory stating another interlude would result in your pack hunting me down. That is most likely the most intelligent thing you could do."

Adam didn't move, he just stared at the feline woman in front of him. She was correct, get her out and get her gone, protect his Mercy, the vampires wouldn't stand for it if Mercy actually learned what she was capable of, not that he knew himself, but this woman probably did. At the same time he knew the fight that was coming later. Mercy wouldn't allow him to get rid of her so fast, she had already been trying to communicate with him mentally during the conversation and he had shut her out. Partly for wanting to focus and partly because he already knew what his Mercy was thinking.

"You're not leaving yet." He said the words almost before he realized he had made the decision. "You're going to stay here and you're going to wait until I figure out what the vampires are planning. They've probably already put something in motion and I'm not going to let you get away from dealing with the mess. "

"I'm not staying in this house." Ely stated after nodding her acceptance of what he had said. "I'll stay in the area, but in this house, no. This is the pack den, every supernatural within 20 miles knows where you live and I'm not staying in a death trap if the vampires come hunting me down."

"You can stay with me." The voice that piped up from the sidelines was Warren's. "Kyle and I recently moved so there is a better chance you'll be harder to find with me. We have a guest room."

Ely looked at him. "Fine. That will do for now." She stood up. "I'm tired and my ass is killing me." She glared at Ben who gave her a sneer.

Adam stood up to meet her wrapping his large hand around her deceptively delicate looking upper arm. "Do not think of attempting to escape my third. I will send the pack on a hunt for you, and will notify the Marrok of your presence and the problems you bring with you to the West Coast if you do. He will kill you just as fast as I will to protect his own."

Ely nodded her understanding.

Adam turned to those gathered. "None of you, not a single one is to say anything to anyone else, even your mates about what she is and why she is here. I don't condone lying to the pack you know that, but until we see our position keeping her hidden is critical." He practically marched up the stairs.

They left without incidence, Warren driving for a few minutes before speaking.

"Why do your eyes keep changing color?"

Ely looked at him with crystal blue eyes.

"Because I'm using my magic to hide my scent and what I am from any vampires we may pass on the way to your place."

"They can smell you?"

"Like everything else it depends on the vampire." She turned her head back and closed her eyes muttering under her breath.

The ride wasn't very long, 20 minutes at the most. They pulled into a fancy subdivision and in front of a cookie cutter house that looked like every other house around it. There was some faint light coming through the window from behind the thick dark curtains.

Warren sighed as he pulled the car into the garage.

"Kyle knows what I am so you can talk to him about werewolves, but you need to maintain you are human until Adam says otherwise. We'll tell him you're Mercy's cousin from out east, he's not a wolf so he won't smell the lie, well he may, he's a damn fine lawyer, but he won't know he'll just ask me later and I'll tell him the same."

"Sounds good, I'm not up for much chit chat right now, I just need to sleep." She got out of the car before he did and headed to the door leading into the house.

Warren jumped out of the car and beat her to the door. As they entered he yelled out for Kyle letting him know there was company with.

Kyle came around the corner in a pair of obviously expensive sleeping pants and no shirt. Damn fine was right and Ely sighed a little shaking her head.

"Kyle this is Ely, Ely Kyle."

Kyle held out a hand and Ely shook it noticing how smooth the skin was. Kyle though was obviously taking in her disheveled appearance, sweatpants, a t-shirt and flip flops, she knew she looked like trouble. After scanning her clothing he met her eyes and they got stuck there for a minute flipping from the green to the violet and back.

"You were right Warren, he is damn fine." She winked at the wolf and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Warren you didn't tell me you were bringing home company, let alone someone with such obviously amazing taste." Kyle moved to his side and kissed him.

"I'm Mercy's cousin." Damn he even smelled as good as he looked she thought as his cologne drifted past her nose. "She didn't know I was coming and I'm not too comfortable staying in Adam's werewolf haven…err den… house thingy," ::she waved a hand through the air emphasizing her lack of care. Kyle raised an eyebrow when she mentioned werewolves. "Warren offered up your guest room, but if it is a problem I can head to a hotel." She moved towards the door they had just entered through.

"Absolutely not, you'll stay with us. Any friend of Mercy's and all." Kyle took her arm in his and began leading her upstairs. "Don't you have luggage of some sort?"

"No, I had to leave me place in a hurry." She cast her eyes down from him. "My ex… he was…well not nice."

"Well, tomorrow we'll take you shopping. There is an extra toothbrush in the bathroom near your room. Make yourself at home. It's late so why don't you head to bed and we'll chat tomorrow." Warren was following them closely and opened the door to the bedroom before they reached it.

Ely smiled at the pair and nodded. "Thank you so much for everything Warren. You've been really nice."

"Anytime Ely."

She closed the door and stripped off her clothes before kneeling in the center of the bed. She muttered to the ghosts around her for a few minutes before crawling under the covers. Her superior hearing picked up the sounds from the room on the opposite side of the house.

"So, you think I'm damn fine do you?" Kyle's voice was warm and playful.

"Well, I said you were a damn fine lawyer," sounds of Warren's belt buckle coming undone and fingers running through his hair, "but she's right, you know you're damn fine." The words sounds funny coming out of Warren, almost uncomfortable, it obviously wasn't language he used often.

"Damn straight she's right, you're not too bad yourself cowboy." The talking ceased, replaced with the sounds of kissing, bed covers rustling, and the soft grunting sounds. The passionate sounds brought back the memories of the last time Ely had gotten laid, so long ago she remembered the place more than she did the man. It had been years since, and years before that, her life didn't afford her time for enjoyable activities. She sighed as she cursed herself for thinking about it and closed her eyes attempting to sleep. Each time she did though her ears perked up more and the sounds became louder. She rolled over and waited it out. Nearly an hour later the sounds cooled and she closed her eyes cursing werewolf stamina. Her last thought as she fell asleep wasn't that she cursed it; it was that she missed it.


	5. Chapter 5 Alliances

Ely awoke the next morning with panic filling her chest. Like a lightening striking it shot through her until she recognized where she was. She quickly showered and dressed in the clothes from the night before. Warren and Kyle were already in the kitchen eating breakfast, and Kyle made her a plate and cup of coffee. After breakfast Warren suggested they head out shopping and they all climbed into Kyle's car.

Kyle spent nearly the entire day picking out clothes and forcing Ely to gather more than she would be able to pay for on her own, when he picked up the tab she tried to argue but he wouldn't allow it claiming that he made more money than he knew what to do with anyways. Warren joined into the conversation occasionally although he was obviously more interested in counting floor tiles in the stores than he was in the actual shopping. A phone call from Adam declared they had an hour to get to his house for a meeting.

When they arrived, having dropped Kyle back off at his home and switched vehicles, Warren walked into Adam's without knocking. The group from the night before was gathered and both Ben and Darryl watched every move Ely made.

"Any trouble?" Adam asked.

"Nope, none at all." Warren's reply was short and quick.

They all sat in the living room, Ely against the back wall so she was surrounded. Her nerves were on high alert in such a hostile layout and she almost felt dizzy from trying to keep track of what each one was doing.

"I spoke with Marsilia, the Mistress of the Seethe here; she was extremely agitated with the fact that a knowledgeable walker had entered the domain. Of course, I think she was more upset that it wasn't Mercy cleansing the other domain and that our truce is still in good standing. "

Mercy chuckled at the last statement, "She's just craving a reason to come after me."

"Yes, she is." Irritation filled Adam's voice.

"She seems to think that my smartest move would be to hand you over to the other domain. Unfortunately, I can't do that. It would mean most likely years of torture and eventual death for you," his voice changed to poorly imitate a woman's. "and I'm one of the good guys." Mercy chuckled and slapped his arm lightly.

"I told her that I would talk to you about things and if you could swear you will not hunt her people while you are here she will put a hold on the plans already in motion to locate you and kill you. Do you think you can do this?"

"You want me to not kill the vampires that are feeding on the humans of this city?" Ely was floored at the thought, why would an Alpha be protecting a vampire from the death it had only cheated the first time?

"I have a tenuous relationship with Marsilia and she'll take my word for face value. You I have no relationship with so this is very simple, you can choose to leave, which knowing you are here I am sure that the vampires have already spread the news to any domain you would have enter to leave, or you can stay within Marsilia's borders and refrain from killing them. If you can't manage that then you need to attempt to leave. I won't have your trouble here. "

"I would like you to stay." Mercy chimed in once Adam had stopped. "I'd like you to teach me what you know about what we are. I've figured out some things but…" She didn't need to finish the thought.

"Adam, I don't like this." Darryl, who had been seated next to Ely stood up and stated the fact forcefully. It was not a smart thing to do with a declaration of disagreement with his Alpha.

"Really?" Adam stood up to meet him and took a step forward. Ely quickly climbed over the arm of the chair she was in and slinked to the corner pressing against the wall. Mercy stood behind Adam showing her support but did not move to interrupt.

"No, you're putting us all in danger because your Mate wants to learn things? You don't know this woman, you don't know if she'll even keep her promise. Let's say she doesn't that she decides to start knocking off vampires and Marsilia comes after us because you told her that this thing," he motioned to the corner quickly, "wouldn't do anything. It will be war just like the last time a walker couldn't control her impulses and caused trouble. Mary Jo has never been fully right since that." At the mention of Mary Joe the entire room snapped with anger and sadness, Ely made a note to ask Mercy about it later.

To Darryl's credit he had held his Alpha's gaze for the entire speech; even as Adams eyes turned bright golden and his fists began to clench. Adam took another step forward and Ely cringed in the corner as his Alpha power began to press towards Darryl. Darryl began to shrink while he held the eye contact, but he was losing the battle, his feet were fighting to stay in their spot and not back him up. He needed to relent soon or there was going to be a blood bath. When a second stood up to an Alpha it was never a good time. Even with an Alpha as powerful as Adam his second was his most trusted man, but also the one most likely to challenge him for control of the pack, it was a double edged sword.

Pushed to the edge with Darryl's refusal to back down Adam lunged at him landing a quick blow to the center of Darryl's chest that sent him flying against the wall. He landed closer to Ely than she was comfortable with. Keeping her fear in check, but moving as quickly as she could without actually running Ely climbed over the couch along the wall to get to the other side of the room. As she got to the end of the couch her foot caught in a cushion and she fell forward. Her fall was broken by Ben who quickly placed her behind him.

"You want to undermine my authority? Insult not only me but my Mate in the same breath? You don't think I haven't thought these things through?" Adam was so close to losing it that his words were difficult to understand and his breath was ragged. "That we," he pulled Mercy to his side, "your Alpha and his chosen Mate did not discuss this?"

Darryl stood up against the wall collecting himself, his eyes lowered, shoulders rounded in submission and knees bent to place his head lower than Adam's.

"Sir, I only wish to protect the pack, it is not you," he paused for a moment, "or your mate I question, it is the stranger, the other who can bring trouble to us." His voice was full volume but there was shaking and pleading in it.

Adam slammed his fist through the wall millimeters from Darryl's head and tilted his own down to catch the other wolfs eyes. Holding him there he leaned in closer, his nose nearly touching Darryl's.

"You are my second for a reason, you are strong and I value your opinion. You ever contradict me in front of pack again and I will not be this understanding. We speak in private. Do you understand me?"

Darryl couldn't hold Adam's intense stare and looked down but did not move. "Yes my Alpha, I understand. I apologize."

Adam roared as he pulled his fist from the wall and turned to the room. Ely, still behind Ben, refused to even look in his direction. "STAY. HERE." He growled to the room and stormed through the kitchen nearly ripping the sliding door off the track as he headed outside.

Darryl straightened his shoulders and walked out the front door. "I'll be back in a minute." Not wanting to enrage Adam further he simply sat on the first step of the porch.

Ely moved from behind Ben and began to clean up the furniture that had gone flying and picked up the larger pieces of drywall.. She felt responsible, this was all her fault and the least she could do is clean up the physical mess scattered around. Eventually, Ben joined in the cleaning and Mercy retrieved the vacuum.

While the vacuum was running and the men were assessing the damage to the wall Ely slipped out the front door leaning against it behind Darryl. "I'm sorry to have brought this on you and the pack." Darryl stiffened when she spoke and stood up to face her. "I don't ask for anything, but I thought perhaps if you knew something about me it would help."

"What can you say?" He questioned shortly. Ely kept her eyes from him even though he was attempting to catch her.

"I'm not unfamiliar with pack life," her voice carried sadness, "I have an understanding of how you feel," she obviously choked back the tears that were trying to push forward. "I was once mated to a second in a pack, the intense need to protect. I also understand the risk Adam is taking. Once Mercy is taught I will leave the area to not be a burden. I would never do anything to endanger a pack."

The door she was leaning on suddenly jerked open and she fell backwards landing on her ass and cried out in pain. When she looked up Ben's upside down face was in her vision wearing an evil grin.

"Sorry luv, shouldn't lean on doors. Adam's back, go sit down." Ely realized that while sexy, his British accent did not lessen the fact that he was a prick. She got up and went back to the chair she had been sitting in before. Darryl took a new seat further from her and stared at her.

Once Adam had taken his seat again Ely spoke before he could.

"I understand your position, I will teach Mercy what I can and I will leave. I will not hunt the vampires of this domain while I am here." She met his eyes, nodded, and looked away again.

"Good." His eyes were fading back to brown and he stood up. "Everyone leave now."

"Adam?" Ely asked permission to speak.

"Yes?"

"When I left the neighboring territory I didn't collect my things from a hotel I was staying in. Could you possibly have someone escort me there before sunset to collect them?"

Adam contemplated the thought for a while. "No, you are not going back there. Ben will retrieve your things. Give him the hotel name and room number." He walked up the stairs out of everyone's sight. Mercy told Ely she would call her at Warren's later and followed him.

Ely gave Ben the information he needed and left with Warren.

Once in the car Warren relaxed slightly. "Well, that was almost really bad, you sure you're not a coyote like Mercy?" he chuckled but it was tense and uneasy, "so you were mated to a wolf huh?"

"Yes, a long time ago." She stated.

"What happened?"

"He died."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Why? You didn't kill him." She snapped and choked back tears, wiping the one that escaped with the back of her hand.

The rest of the ride to Warren's house was silent.


	6. Chapter 6 Blood

Ely didn't come out of the upstairs room until after Ben was long gone from dropping off her things; she hadn't lied there wasn't much a backpack that held her tools, a duffle bag of clothes, and a black case. Warren had placed them outside her door, she carried them inside and placed the case on the bed. When she undid the clasps tears began to flow. She ran her fingers over the cool metal of her silver and black saxophone. Rested in its red plush home was the anniversary gift her husband had given her just before he died.

She wiped back the tears cursing as she pulled out the wooden reed and slid it between her lips relishing for a moment in the taste and feel of the soft wood. She slipped the instrument together, stood in the middle of the room and began to place a slow mournful blues song. She played another and heard her door open halfway through. She finished the song and began to put the instrument away as she sucked in quick breaths and ignored Warren standing in the doorway.

He waited until she closed the case before speaking, "That was amazing."

"Thank you." She didn't turn.

"Mercy called, she's on her way over to take you out."

Nallely turned and looked at him with puffy red eyes, the blue color of when she was masking who and what she was looked even more out of place than her true eyes. It popped against her skin and tears looking like a pair of those freakish contacts directors use in movie.

"Thank you. I'll be down in a bit, I need to shower." She turned and walked into the bathroom.

Mercy and Warren were chatting when Ely came down.

"Hi Nelly." Mercy waved lightly. "I was thinking we could head out and chat but after that show at the den earlier I'm not much in the mood for serious. How about you grab that saxophone Warren was telling me about and I take you to this pizzeria I know of where people bring in their instruments to play."

"Call me Ely." She smiled. "Sure that sounds good, I'll grab my sax and we can head out."

Ely didn't really want to play in front of strangers tonight, not with the mood she was in, but the only other option was talking to Mercy about what she was and that was even less appealing. Sometimes she just wanted to be normal, she wasn't concerned with fitting in, she knew she was special and all that jazz, knew she had a purpose and was chosen by the Old Ones to fulfill it. Occasionally though, she just wanted to be regular, just be there and not always be the hunter. She returned to the kitchen with the instrument in tow and they left.

The ride over was filled with tension, neither woman knowing enough to ask questions of the other and Warren had warned Mercy that asking Ely about the husband she revealed earlier in the day wasn't the best idea.

"The stuff at the house earlier wasn't your fault." Mercy broke the ice. "Aurielle, Darryl's mate, has been challenging my place in the pack since it happened and Darryl standing up to Adam, in Adam's mind, was him declaring he valued his mate more than his Alpha, Adam was pissed. Of course most of this is my fault anyways; I've caused a fair amount of trouble in the last year or so."

"You're coyote, you can't help it." Ely responded and didn't say anything else just stared out the car window.

The pizzeria was about half full when they arrived and Ely chose a table in the back corner. They ordered a pizza and chatted about the woman singing on stage. Ely's eyes never stopped moving around the room, watching every patron that entered. There were a couple fae that wandered in but fae didn't give Ely problems so she ignored them once she'd identified them.

Mercy talked Ely into going up on the mini stage and playing a couple of songs. During the last song she noticed a man talking to Mercy and every hair on her body zinged to life in warning. The vampire looked odd in jeans and a Scooby Doo shirt and Mercy seemed unusually comfortable around him. Ely finished the song and delayed returning to the table by conversing with people complimenting her on her playing. When it was clear the vampire wasn't leaving soon she walked over to the table.

He rose when she arrived and moved to pull out a chair for her but Ely grabbed a different one and sat down putting her sax away quickly.

"Thanks anyways." She said politely.

"Ely this is Stephan, Stephan this is Ely."

He held out a hand and she took it her skin stinging when he touched her. He leaned in and kissed the hand, her stomach somersaulted and she felt like she was going to vomit on him.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Ely."

She took her hand back and covered a yawn with it. "Thanks, you too." She smiled at him as she memorized the scent.

Ely was still hungry and ate another slice of the pie they had ordered. Mercy and Stephan chatted back and forth about some work she was doing on a car for a "friend" of Stephan's. While she was eating Ely began to notice how tired she was. She had been keeping her defense up at Defcon 5 billion, constantly pulling on her magic to crush her identity, it was wearing on her. She wanted to loosen her pull on the spirits in the area before they became too irritable but with the vampire sitting next to her she couldn't. She yawned again and Mercy looked over.

"Do you want to get going?" Mercy asked.

"Yeah I'm beat, shopping with Kyle is hard work." She laughed.

"Oh yeah, I've been there, he is like a machine on a shopping spree." Mercy stood up.

"Ah how depressing," Stephan chimed in, "I was just beginning to think tonight would turn out entertaining. Oh well." He stood up with them. "Let me walk you ladies to your car." He reached down to pick up Ely's saxophone and she grabbed his wrist before he could touch it. Her skin protested the contact with him.

"Don't, I'll get it. Thanks." She picked up the instrument and let them lead the way out.

When they reached Mercy's car Stephan sighed, "Mercy, when are you going to let that husband of yours get you a new vehicle dear? You deserve something better than old cars and beat up Rabbits."

Ah Ely thought, a rabbit, that's what the car had been that she jumped over, not a Bug.

"Stephan I like my cars as they are thank you."

"Yes you do my dear." He opened her door. "Thank you for your company tonight ladies." He gave them a toothy, but not fang filled grin. "It was a pleasure meeting you Ely." They said their goodbyes and he walked down the street. When Ely looked back he was gone and she shuttered, it was too fast to have simply walked away.

They sat quietly and Ely fidgeted with the strap on her sax for a while before speaking.

"You make a habit of hanging out with vampires?" Ely asked abrasively.

"Stephan is different," she pulled onto the highway, "we've been through a lot. A few months ago he protected me from James Blackwood a vampire…"

"I know who James Blackwood is," Ely cut her off, "I had heard his ghost pet is mourning him now. What do you mean he protected you from Blackwood?"

"Stephan and I exchanged blood to block Blackwood from being able to control me."

"You WHAT?" Nallely could help the outrage in her voice. "Are you stupid? Do you have any idea of what that means? Blackwood couldn't control you if you didn't allow him, why would you willingly exchange blood with a vampire! You are his now."

"No, the connection was broken when Blackwood fed from me while I was captured and when he died it broke everything."

Ely forced an artificial laugh and noticed that they were pulling into Adam's driveway instead of Warren and Kyle's.

"Is that what HE told you? That thing tonight, he told you the connection was broken? That is ridiculous, I have never heard of a connection being broken unless it was done by the master or mistress of a seethe. Simply exchanging blood did nothing but lock you to him more than necessary." She got out of the car and stalked to the front door opening it like she belonged.

"No, I can't feel Stephan anymore, and he told me he can't feel me." Mercy countered as she followed.

Ely dropped her saxophone on the floor and stormed through the house to the kitchen, past Adam to the fridge grabbing a bottle of water.

"YOU," she pointed the bottle at Mercy, "Mercedes Hauptman have no idea what you have done. He is lying to you this vampire you treasure as if he were a friend and pack."

Mercy had had enough and stalked forward.

"YOU have no idea what you are talking about, you don't know the situation and are not a vampire so you can't possibly know everything. Stephan has put himself on the line for everyone in this pack."

"For his personal means trust me. The only good vampire is a dead one. I know what I have been taught, what I have experienced and what has been passed down to me through the generations of walkers I have come from." When Adam rose she held up a hand, as if he couldn't rip it from her body in a single breath.

"That vampire tonight is not your friend, or your lover, he is dangerous regardless of your past experiences. He is old and powerful and his touch burned through me like ice and fire combined when he kissed my hand. You sat with him like you trusted him, like you knew he would do you no harm and he has you fooled every bit of the way. His blood courses through you at this very minute and you stand defending him?" Her lips tightened into a smug smile and she daintily placed the bottle on the counter. "Just as any good sheep would."

The last comment stun Mercy to the core, she was not and never would be a vampire's sheep. The frustration of so many months of trouble and angst finally snapped in her and she pulled back quickly with a swift strike to Ely's stomach meant to knock her back and take her breath. Ely saw it coming and rolled absorbing most of the blow with her own energy.

Adam jumped up and pulled Ely back and shoved her through a door way. "Take it to the dojo if you're going to fight this out." Mercy pushed past him growling, "Stay out of this Adam."

"I am sick of replacing my home honey. I'm out for now, don't fret." Adam said coolly as he leaned against the door jam.

By the time Mercy entered the room Ely was already naked and had her long braid rolled up tight to her head. Ely's mind was racing as she watched Mercy strip giving the younger walker time to prepare. She wasn't going to kill her, that would bring her own death thanks to Adam, but if the fool wanted to learn what she was capable of Ely would show her first hand.

The first sets of attacks were test runs, each trying to gauge the other's speed and skill. Mercy fought as her sensei had taught her, calculated and quick blows that she seemed unable to land completely as Ely dodged. Ely fought like someone who had been trained on the streets, a combination of a couple styles of fighting which relied on carefully applied force instead of speed. For a woman she packed a punch as good as almost any man. Mercy was quick though and just as good at dodging as Ely was.

"Are you calling on the power he has given you yet walker?" Ely taunted as they fought.

"I don't need my Mate's power to prove myself to you." Mercy replied snidely.

"I wasn't talking about your Mate," Ely snarled as she connected with Mercy's jaw knocking her back onto her stomach.

By the time Mercy had rolled over to pop up she saw the mountain lion launching herself off the wall. She rolled again shifting to coyote as she did and began to use her speed in an advantage over the large lion's brute force. Adams hands were resting on the railing at the top of the stairs and the wood was cracking under the strain of his grip.

When Mercy made her next leap for the lion Ely smirked in her feline way and the blue eyes flashed a light that had no source. Mercy's jump was interrupted by nothing and she was suspended in mid air growling and yipping fiercely as she was held by the ghosts she could feel around her. The lion slowly stalked around the coyote and stopped directly in front of her when she felt the zing of vampire just behind her. She began to run at Mercy but slipped past her scooping her head down to grab something off the pile of clothes she had tossed away. She continued on to hit the wall full force and flipped over launching herself at Stephan who had appeared from nowhere behind her. She changed form midair and grappled the vampire, wrapping the thin silver necklace around his throat as they hit the ground.

Mercy was released and shifted as she hit the ground. Both women were covered in bruises and scratches but nothing serious. She stared at the sight of Ely keeping Stephan on his knees in front of her. The woman's well toned arms shimmered with sweat and strained to hold him as the cross and chain burned the flesh of his neck. He muttered a single word, "Interesting…" and was silenced by a quick tug on the chain.

"You see Mercedes Hauptman. I told you, and now your _friend_," the word was bitter, "knows who I am to prove your mistake." She leaned in close to Stephan's ear. "I have never left a vampire who has seen me in human form live to see dawn dead thing. Do not make me regret this." In one move she released Stephan pushing him forward and spitting on the ground next to him. She gathered her clothes and walked up the stairs.

Adam stopped her at the top, yellow eyes burning into her. "Why should I not kill you for attacking my Mate?"

"She hit me first." Ely retorted without looking away. "And I didn't have any intention of killing her, just proving a point. You knew that when you saw me pull my claws on the swipe that would have otherwise gutted her."

He nodded and stepped aside letting her pass. She found Ben standing in the doorway, his eyes now lit with the fire of his wolf and the stupid smirk told her he'd seen everything.

"That was hot." He sneered. Ely ignored him and pushed past, rolling her eyes.

In the dojo Mercy sat on the floor staring at Stephan as he rose.

"You lied."

"Mercy, I only care, I would never…"

"Get out of here Stephan." Adam growled from behind them.

Stephan brushed off his pants and bowed deeply. "Of course Adam Hauptman." He looked at Mercy and nodded. "I will not betray our friendship with the release of your friend's identity." With that he teleported away all scent and trace of him gone.

Ely was in the living room dressed and drinking water when they came back into the house. Her saxophone hung from her shoulder.

"I would like to go to Warren's now please. Absorb what you have learned tonight and we can talk more tomorrow."

"Ben, take her." Mercy commanded as she walked around the corner to the kitchen.

"Bloody hell, I always get stuck carting this biddy around." He muttered to himself as he pushed past and through the door.


	7. Chapter 7 Soldier

Mercy did not call Ely the next day. When it became evident that the evening was going to be quiet Ely borrowed Kyle's car and took her saxophone back to the pizzeria to play more. Warren had put up a stink about her going on her own but after a call to Adam he relented. Once there she ordered herself some food and ate slowly as she watched the patrons.

"May I join you?" The hair on her neck rose.

"No, go away." She responded without looking behind her.

"I promise to be pleasant company."

"Not possible. Go away."

"I don't care to." Stephan sat down across from her. "This is a public establishment after all."

Ely turned to face the vampire focusing on his chin. "What do you want?"

"To discuss the little occurrence in the garage last night; that was an evil trick you played."

"I had to prove a point to her. She is fine, I didn't hurt her.."

"No, no you didn't, I'm not concerned about her health. What I did not appreciate was you placing her in a position that allowed her to discover I lied to her."

"Did I ruin your plan to make yourself appear the hero at a later date? Well, perhaps next time you won't lie to your sheep." She spit out quickly.

He grabbed her hand and she hissed at the connection.

"You know if you wouldn't hide yourself so hard under your magic it wouldn't hurt so when I touch you."

"Don't touch me." She jerked her hand back. "Is there something specific that you have to discuss or are you stalking me like you stalk Mercy?"

Stephan frowned. "I do not stalk the lovely Mercy. Contrary to what you believe I do care for her deeply."

"Don't try your lies on me, creature." She dropped her voice to a whisper as she watched the current performer on the stage. "I needed to prove to Mercy that what she thinks she has learned so far is only partially true if it is at all. Her stupidity in allowing Blackwood to control her so he could feed from her and her subsequent stupidity at allowing you to do the same needed to be shoved in her face for her to fully understand."

Stephan stared at her for a long time. "You are correct. Marsilia was not lying though when she told Mr. Hauptman that a trained person like you is not a pleasant addition to the area."

"I have no quarrel here and I will leave soon enough. I gave my word to the Alpha." She looked Stephan in the eyes finally her vision turning blue as it blocked him. "You Solider understand the honor held in giving one's word." She snapped the connection and began to open the case to her saxophone.

"Yes," his voice held the sound of a liquid smile, "I do."

"Good, now if you will excuse me I came here to play." She placed the little card on the table that indicated the empty seat belonged to a performer. "Good night Stephan." He rose when she did and watched her walk to the stage and wait her turn.

When she began playing Stephan bowed and left. As he exited he passed by a large man who, even without the vampire to draw her vision, Ely would have noticed right away. He had odd features, not exactly fitting together well but not horribly stand-offish either. His body, even under the loose polo he wore was something to be admired though. He moved to the counter to order food but when she changed from the slow blues to an upbeat jazz song he stopped and watched her. His stare unnerved her and she focused on the tables closest to her as she played. When she finished the room applauded and requested another song before she stepped down. She smiled and conceded as her eyes danced back to the large man across the room that had joined in the attempts to get her to play again.

She studied his eyes, a pale blue-grey that stood out against sun kissed brown hair, and he looked back with a raised eyebrow. When she didn't look away he stiffened and pushed himself off the wall he had leaned against. She laughed and broke into a perfect rendition of Yakety Sax. The entire room joined in the revelry and tapped their feet to the rhythm. When she finished she stood up and took a playful bow thanking everyone before making room for the next performer.

Almost as soon as she was seated she was joined by a tall thin man with dark hair. He brought her a beer and she thanked him but didn't drink it. Their conversation was nothing more than common small talk, he complimented her on her playing and her eyes. He discovered she was new in town and offered to show her around handing her a card with his name and number on it. She slid the card across the table and gave an open ended answer of if she had time. He nodded and walked away proud of himself and the beginning of what he thought was a chase.

Another man approached this one shorter and plainer than the last, the same routine, and another card which found itself next to the first. She laughed at the idea that all the men in this city carried cards to pass out to random women.

The blue eyed man that had caught her attention earlier was gone now and she searched the room looking for him. Shrugging Ely picked up her saxophone and left the little restaurant, the two cards still sitting on the table.

When she got outside her eyes adjusted to the dark fairly quickly and she saw the large man leaning against a red Mercedes in the parking lot. He tipped his head in acknowledgement but she ignored the action instead holding his gaze as she walked towards Kyle's car.

"Pardon me." His footsteps fell in sync with hers.

"Yes?" She turned to face him and he smiled.

"I didn't want to interrupt your fan club so I waited out here. I hope you don't mind." The wind shifted and he smelled of the woods and werewolf just as she had thought.

"Not fans, just boys. You are?"

"Samuel Cornick. I'm sure the boys told you, but you are a talented musician. May I ask your name?"

"Yes, you may. My name is Nallely, Ely for short." It was a game, she knew it, he thought he was just hunting an interesting female, she knew he couldn't tell what she was. She turned and headed in the direction of the car; let him think she had no idea who or what he was.

"Interesting." He followed. "The origin?"

"Zapotec Indian from Mexico, but my mother was Cheyenne. It means "I Love You," she studied various Native American languages and when I was born she said it out loud. The nurse thought she meant it to be my name and wrote it on the birth certificate so it stuck." She popped the trunk of the car and placed her sax inside before turning around.

"Well, I won't keep you, but I would like to continue the conversation at a later date." He pulled out a small notebook and pen and wrote his name and number. "I would be honored if you would choose to call me."

Ely took the paper admired the calligraphy and slipped it into her pocket before getting in the car and driving away.


	8. Chapter 8 The Doctor

"So, about the other night," Ely sipped her cup of cocoa as she sat cross legged at Mercy's table in her trailer, "I'm sorry it had to happen that way."

Mercy hung the wash cloth over the sink faucet. "You're not sorry, but you're right, it had to happen. I talked with Adam about it and we both agreed that it was better it did now and we can deal with it. Why did you keep calling me Mercedes Hauptman though? We aren't married you know."

"No, but you are mated, and I knew what I was going to have to do so I figured calling you that would help keep Adam and his wolf calmer during the situation."

Mercy laughed, "Well it did, and he couldn't stop talking about it, kept telling me how much he had liked the sound of it. So yeah it worked. Thanks a lot." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "My luck he'll pop the question now."

"Well, wolves are easy and complicated. Sometimes they can snap one direction or another and you never see it coming, but something like that, especially with how much both his human being and his wolf love you, I knew it would stroke his ego well enough." She sighed and the scent she had been trying to ignore since she had walked in Mercy's door found its way to her again, the wolf Samuel, he lived here; his scent was everywhere.

"Yeah well that's not all it caused to get stroked." She winked and sat across the table drinking her own cocoa.

The door opened and Ben walked in. "'Ello ladies." He slid in next to Ely pushing her lightly and causing her to spill some of her drink and growl as she grabbed a napkin to clean up.

"Adam sent me over to make sure you weren't killing each other." He looked at Ely and cocked an eyebrow. "Bein' good luv?"

"Ben stop harassing her, we're fine."

"Aw Mercy, she knows I'm just playin'. Gotta give her a hard time." He nudged Ely with his elbow, but this time she pushed back.

"I told you not to touch me wolf."

"Aww, poor kitty." He mocked.

The door opened again and Samuel walked in. The smell of blood, soap and disinfectant filled the room, his eyes and body posture made him look like he was going to collapse.

"Hey Mercy what's for dinner? I'm starving."

"Ooops." Mercy cringed.

"Hey Sam." Ben's demeanor changed from asshole to tense and quiet when the other wolf entered.

Sam looked at Ben and grumbled, "Hi…" his vision landed on Ely and he moved to the left to get a better look.

"Sam, Ely, Ely, Sam." Mercy introduced. "He's my roommate."

Sam walked forward a step or two and smiled staring at Ely. "Hello again." Ely watched her hands fidget with her cup she could literally feel his eyes grazing over her.

"Hi."

Samuel turned back to the kitchen tossing his keys on the counter. "I'm showering, then food, my treat ladies. See ya Ben." He walked down the small hall and disappeared into a room.

"Well I can tell when a bloke isn't wanted. See ya later Mercy, Ely luv don't scratch her eyes out." He laughed at his own joke and let himself out. As the door closed behind him Samuel walked from the bedroom to the bathroom wrapped in a towel not acknowledging either woman.

"Hey," Mercy snapped her fingers in front of Ely to get her attention and mouthed two words, "stop drooling."

"Sam's been living here for a while now," she raised her voice "OF COURSE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO GET HIS OWN PLACE BY NOW." She laughed at the "blah blah blah" that came from the bathroom. "He's a wolf too, just so you know, but not part of Adam's pack." They chatted for a bit about nothing in particular. When the water turned off and Sam exited the bathroom Mercy changed the topic back to him. "He's lucky he can cook and is good to keep around for eye candy or I'd kick him out." She had an evil look on her face.

"Don't let your mate hear you say that Mercy." Sam retorted as he went back to his room. After he was dressed in jeans and a salmon colored button down Sam grabbed his keys. "Come on." He left and was waiting by the open passenger door of his car by the time they got outside. Dinner went off smoothly; the conversation was a little rough until Mercy started telling stories about her antics living with The Marrok and his pack. Samuel was a little confused at the liberty Mercy was taking until Ely explained she had been married to a wolf once.

Mercy got up to go to the bathroom and Sam leaned a bit closer to Ely. "I've been waiting for her to leave, and for your call, but you didn't call. So while I have your undivided attention, would you care to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night? Just the two of us? If not please don't feel pressured."

Ely's breath caught in her chest and she stared at his blue eyes. "Ummm, yeah, I'd like that." She knew he could hear her heart rate going a mile a minute and as if in answer he reached across the table and patted her hand. "Great, thank you for accepting. I will pick you up at Warren and Kyle's at 8."

"Wait how did you know I was staying at Warren's?" She pulled her hand away seeing Mercy crossing the restaurant again.

"The other night at the pizzeria, you were driving Kyle's car."

"Oh." She laughed.

"Are we ready to go?" Mercy didn't bother sitting when she got back to the booth.

"Absolutely." Ely slid out and headed towards the exit. When she got near the door a few men walked in and one of them stopped in front of her.

"Well hello there." He held out his hand to shake her. "Ely right?" She took the hand and shook it quickly. His buddies kept walking past to an empty table chuckling and shaking their heads at him.

"Yeah..Matt right? We met at the pizza place the other night."

He smiled widely when she remembered him. "Yes, we did. I was hoping you would have called by now though." He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Oh, yeah," she could her Samuel and Mercy's steps coming up behind her. "Well have been busy and by the time I had a chance to call I had lost your card."

"Really? Well here." He reached in his pocket obviously grabbing another card which he held out.

Samuel walked up right behind her getting close, almost too close, he nearly pressed himself against her and stared at the man talking to her. Ely could feel the low rumble in his chest that she knew would quickly turn into an audible growl if she didn't push the conversation a different direction. It surprised her when she realized she wasn't concerned with the man's safety, or that Samuel growling like a dog would cause a scene, she was concerned with him being upset over someone she had no interest in, and she didn't want that.

"You know what Matt, I'm not mean enough to string you along." The man's face saddened and a small part of it broke her heart. "You're a very attractive man, and you seem like someone I'd like to know better," Samuel stiffened even more behind her and she could swear she felt his fingertips on her lower back, "but I'm not going to be in town for more than another day or two, and I probably won't have time. I'm sorry." She gave a half hearted smile and he nodded.

"Well, that hurts a man's pride, but thanks for the honesty. It was a pleasure listening to you play the other night. Take care." He gave her a low overly dramatic bow sweeping an arm aside for them to pass.

Samuel pushed softly to get her to move, yup he had been touching her. As they walked past Mercy grabbed her arm in hers and in a voice just loud enough so the man could still hear she teased Ely. "Ely, you fool, he was a little hotty, you should have taken the card!" Ely couldn't help the giggle that came out and she was relieved at least he would have that little bit of a boost as a salve to his bruised ego. Samuel stepped in front of them and held the door. As she passed him there was a flick of white in the blue and he gave her a knowing smile.


	9. Chapter 9 Dinner and a Movie

Here is another chapter! I know the story is slow going but I'm just having too much fun with each chapter to speed the action along more. Please forgive me! I have lots of ideas rolling around and can't wait to share them with you all. 3 more chapters are already written I just have to figure out how to get from this one to them! Take care!

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He had taken her to a restaurant called Morton's, an extremely expensive steak house where there wasn't even a menu, just a cart of different cuts of meat and you picked what you wanted. She had chosen a thick filet mignon in a béarnaise sauce and pile of vegetables that could have filled a garden. Dessert was a fresh baked miniature chocolate cake with melted chocolate in the center. He ate the largest steak he could order, most of the appetizer and just as many vegetables. Sam watched her closely the entire meal talking about safe subjects, her saxophone playing, his love of music and original Celtic music.

He was stunning, a grey pinstripe suit that was obviously expensive and custom made; department store suits didn't come in sizes large enough to span his muscular build. An ice blue shirt made his eyes sparkle in the low lighting, long brown lashes decorated them. Unknowingly, Kyle had picked out a nearly similar color for Ely's dress, the blue material clinging to her form in just the right manner, her long hair free except for two small pieces pulled behind her head to keep her face framed just so. She knew the blue was complimenting her eyes just as well as it was his. To his credit she only caught his eyes sliding down the V-neck front once during the entire dinner, and he had blushed slightly when she did. At the end of the meal Ely was insistent upon paying for the tip and when it seemed as though she would walk home if he didn't allow her to Sam relented.

"Well thanks for dinner." Ely kicked a stone then frowned at the scuff mark on the new white stilettos she was wearing. She stuck her hands in the pockets of the thin white jacket appreciating the pleasant chill in the air. Unlike her coyote cousin she did not prefer the heat of summer's end. Like the wolves she was always warm and was most comfortable in weather under 70 degrees; too hot and she began to get cranky and irritable. She pondered the weather for as long as she could before she let her mind drift to the present. This was always the uncomfortable part, the tension was too much and part of her wanted to run, run far before it escalated.

"What's wrong?" His voice was so smooth; barely a whisper.

"Nothing." It was a lie, he knew it, she knew he knew it, he knew she knew he knew…she laughed out loud at herself.

Samuel's eyebrow lifted and he gave her a quirky smile that she simply couldn't refuse, she returned it and proceeded to continue kicking the stone.

"I was thinking I lied, and you'd know, and you'd know I knew you knew etc. it got further in my head and was funnier… never mind."

He chuckled at her and opened the door to his car. Her scent swirled around him in the warm breeze; she had on sandalwood oil but not so much that it overpowered her natural scent; the part that smelled like the mountains after a summer rain and something he couldn't yet place. He felt the wolf stir slightly and chided him. An internal debate began, pushing her too fast would lead to ruin like it had with Mercy all those years ago. This woman intrigued him from the moment he had noticed her in the pizzeria, he wanted to know her, since his wolf had approved of Mercy 15 years ago this was the first woman that stirred him as much_. Even the one in Texas who…_ he cut himself off stopping the depressing thought of what had been Texas.

He held his hand out supporting her weight as she lowered herself inside the cherry red Mercedes. His cell phone sang the tell tale tone that signified a text had arrived. After closing her door he quickly checked it as he walked around the car. It was his father, only three words; _Relax. Love Dad. _He looked through the windshield and noticed when she leaned over to clear his seat of the belt that had not fully retracted when they had exited earlier. She was unable to see him grin at the simple gesture.

"Problem?" There was hope in her voice but no signifier as to hope of what.

"No, it was just Da, I'll call him tomorrow." Samuel stared into her blue eyes being sure to place no power in the stare, not wanting a challenge. Her fingers slid into her hair and pulled it behind her ear before she lowered her eyes to him. Frustrated with her response he slid the car out onto the road driving in silence.

"It's early yet, I could call Warren and see if he and Kyle are in the mood for company and a movie, perhaps Mercy and Adam also?" Ely was reaching for something to suggest, the awkwardness had become nearly unbearable. This was not what she intended, she had not planned on the events of the last couple weeks and her fear of the vampires here, who had yet to react (even though they had agreed not to she knew they would), increased almost every day. They were planning something and she didn't know what it was, how to prepare, or if she would be able to stop them in time. She chewed on her thumbnail absently as Samuel drove.

A strong hand slipped between her lips and her thumb, warmth coursed through her at the contact. She allowed him to pull the hand down, but did not let hers linger in his. She had been contemplating his hands at dinner; they were an amazing feature violent and brutal in one minute, gentle and agile enough to stitch a baby's wound in the next.

"Nallely, first tell me what is wrong and then yes, I'll stay for a movie if they are not inconvenienced." His eyes cast down to her lap and quickly jerked to the road. She in turn looked down and realized the top of her skirt had ridden up to reveal the bottom of the clasp on her thigh high stockings. She pulled it down and silently cursed Kyle and his smooth talk being able to convince her she needed the complicated undergarments instead of no stockings like she was used to.

Ely sighed, "I'm kinda nervous about this," she motioned between them, "it has been a long time since I've been on a date." She smiled sheepishly, at least that wasn't a complete lie just a partial truth so maybe he would let it pass.

Ely watched him with quick sideways glances, his odd features were not classically handsome but they fit together in a pleasing way. His suit made him look like he belonged in a big city with a pretty young blonde dancing on his arm, not in the car with her. The thought of him near another woman made her suddenly angry and she rolled her eyes to herself as she pulled out the cell phone Mercy had given her.

"Not Mercy and Adam please," the request was whispered into the car and Ely nodded without speaking. She had seen Adam and Samuel together and while she was pretty sure that they had gotten over the fact that Mercy had chosen Adam, Adam's daughter had filled her in on a little of the history, it was still hard for the extremely dominant wolves to be in each other's company. The difficulty wasn't only with women, it was just male werewolves, old and powerful creatures inside them; supernatural creatures that were difficult to reason with.

Warren answered the phone and Ely asked if they were up for a movie, he and Kyle agreed it would be fun and offered to make sure the coffee would be ready. She didn't bother to relay the message, Samuel had heard.

The rest of the ride was silent aside from when Ely began to hum to herself. The song had a Native American sound to it and Samuel tapped his fingers on the steering wheel after catching the beat. When they pulled up to the house he opened her door and let her lead to the house; they entered and greeted the men.

"I'm going to go get changed. I'll be right back." Ely excused herself leaving them downstairs. Once she closed the door to her room she heard Kyle asking how the evening went and Samuel's simple response was cheerful, "Really well actually." She smiled to herself and her stomach made a slight jump. The butterflies brought her logical brain forward.

She muttered quietly as she got dressed, "Why am I behaving like a freaking school girl with him? This is ridiculous I shouldn't be this way, I'm too old to act like a child." She pulled on her dark grey house pants and blue ribbed tank top she knew would make her eyes stand out, then realizing it also made her breasts stand out she pulled on a thin white sweatshirt with a zippered front.

When she rejoined the men downstairs they were just distributing the coffee and laughing about something she had missed. Samuel looked up when she entered the room his eyes resting a moment too long on her chest before reaching her eyes. This time she did not break the stare right away; from the corner of her eye she could see Warren looking between the two of them and caught his smirk just before Kyle handed her a cup of coffee and offered a plate of cookies. She turned to Kyle and contemplated the cookies eventually deciding the whole plate was needed.

"Shall we head downstairs?" She didn't wait for them, her bare feet smacking softly on the tile floor before she reached the carpeting to the basement theater room. The men behind her shrugged and followed.

"Thief!" taunted Kyle.

Warren and Kyle enjoyed their movies and had spared no expense in turning the basement into a private theater. On one end was a high definition flat screen TV that covered nearly the entire wall, complete with the perfect back lighting to keep one's eyes relaxed the set up was nearly as good as a real theater without the noisy strangers and disgusting smells. Shelving just below the monstrous screen held the standard, but of course top of the line, electronic accessories. The movies were all organized by type and alphabet in built in wall cabinets on the wall next to the bathroom. Seating was a massive U shaped suede couch that could fit at least 10 people; soft blankets were neatly folded and hung over the back.

"Someone else pick a movie, I'm kind of in the mood for a comedy though if that's okay." Ely set the plate down next to her as she picked one of the curved parts of the couch to settle in to. Warren looked at the comedy section of the movies for a few moments and called out titles. The final decision came from the action section, "Rundown" starring The Rock. Ely had never seen it but Warren promised many good laughs.

Samuel took off his suit coat and undid the first couple of buttons on his shirt and slipped off his shoes. Ely watched him, _Well if he continues undoing them it can't be all… _she stopped her thought before it finished and covered her face with her coffee mug in an attempt to hide the small amount of blushing. She had failed though and as her eyes danced between Samuel and Warren she noticed they both gave her a questioning look. She settled back into the cushion more.

"I love this couch guys; I love how deep the seating is." Samuel sat down within inches of her and leaned in to grab a cookie.

"Thanks lady." Kyle had taken to calling her lady since the day they went shopping together. "We wanted something large enough to let us lay together comfortably. The movie started and he reached behind him hitting one of the six different preset lighting buttons.

Warren was right, there were as many laughs as promised. Ely nearly spit her coffee out when the monkey attacked the men hanging from the trap and Warren had to save the cookies from tumbling to the floor.

At the end of the movie Warren and Kyle stood up and stretched, Ely got up and used the bathroom while they discussed the next movie. Warren wanted something with fighting and Samuel was leaning in the same direction but Kyle insisted he had to head to bed. He had gotten a new case this week and his client couldn't meet him until Saturday, tomorrow, at the crack of dawn. Crying dramatically for his beauty sleep he said goodnight to everyone and headed up.

Being outnumbered Ely conceded to 300, fighting and extremely handsome men were okay any day in her book. She began yawning shortly after the movie began. During the provocative sex scene she busied herself with stretching out on the couch, anything to keep her focus off the screen and the arousal she could smell off both of the wolves with her. The stretch relaxed her a bit too much and the sudden heaviness in her eyes told her it was time for sleep. She was half asleep when she said goodnight to Warren and didn't make it much longer.

The following morning she woke up and rubbed her eyes before she realized that a large arm was wrapped around her waist and her hair had been gathered above her. She inhaled deeply and smelt Samuel, not like she needed too, but he did smell delicious. Unsure as to what to do next she began to lift herself. She barely began moving before the arm around her tightened and pulled her into him more. A soft but firm bite found its way to the back of her lower neck. _Oh God yes._ She thought and before she could stop herself her free hand whipped behind her and grabbed Samuel's hamstring pulling him closer as her back arched to press her backside into the hardness behind her. When she realized what she had done she froze and silenced the low purr that had started in her chest.

Her response had obviously pleased him though as she could feel the smile against her neck before he released her and licked the spot. "Stay please." His voice was low and guttural and he pulled just a hair tighter. She relaxed as her body melted into him. After a minute he loosened his hold on her waist.

"May I turn over?" She asked quietly.

He licked the spot again and lifted his arm for her. She shuddered under the touch and quickly rolled around and fixed the blanket over them. Her top leg slipped between his causing her to slide down a bit, and she pressed her face into his chest at the bottom of the open buttons. She chuckled evilly and let her tongue slide up the top of his defined abs. His taste burned her tongue; so much power held in his flesh, it was sweet and enticing, like homemade cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven. He half-growled, half-hissed at the surprise and pulled her into him this time pressing against her. Her fingers dug into his back pulling him closer. She could feel his muscles straining to keep control of his body and not grind into her with more urgent need. His head tipped down and he inhaled deeply pulling on her scent.

"You smell different today, last night it was sandalwood and the mountains after a rainstorm. Those are still there but the other thing I can't place is more pronounced." It was a statement and question at the same time.

Ely turned her head up and looked in his eyes, they were a more pale blue than usual, his eyes must turn white as the wolf comes forward, her husband's had gone yellow like Adam's.

Samuel looked at her and froze. His head pulled back and moved as his own eyes danced between hers. "What?"

She took a long breath, "Let me up, I'll show you."

He hesitated but released his grip on her and she walked into the bathroom leaving the door open a crack.

As she removed her clothing she looked at herself in mirror. This was it, he had to know. She knew he wouldn't mind that she was a walker, but a feline instead of a canine might be a problem. She had heard the whispers behind closed doors as to what the males and females of her last pack thought of their "crossbreeding" they called it. He'd let her know either way. She changed into her lion form and stretched away the last of the tingle. Mercy had mentioned the tingle and they had both laughed when they agreed that the worst were the ones that got caught in your nose.

She placed her paws on the counter and looked at her form in the mirror. It always amazed her when she stopped to look at her lion form. She had been blessed with more reddish than brown colorings and although real mountain lions typically only have the tips of their ears and tail dipped in black hers were more than 50% black. She was 95 pounds of hunter with green and violet eyes that stood out well against her fur. She contemplated herself for another moment and then dropped to the floor silently. Catching the door gently with a paw she walked back into the theater room.

He was sitting up now his face in his hands as he began speaking.

"I'm sorry about my behavior, my wolf, he must have slid up behind you while we were sleeping. I don't usually…" His eyes locked on her and his jaw dropped.

"Nallely?"

She slinked forward and sat in front of him leaving plenty of room but still within reach. Her nose scented finding surprise, curiosity, and excitement, but no anger, this was good.

"You…you're a mountain lion?" His hand moved as if to touch her but he stopped. She stretched out her right paw and tapped him lightly on the knee. He touched the paw and slid his fingers around the individual digits. It tickled like crazy but she held still, only her tail twitching slightly.

When he reached questioningly for her face she stood up and moved closer. His hand scratched down the side of her face and she rubbed against his leg as a house cat would; being sure her scent would be left for him.

"That's what I smelled, I thought I knew it, but I couldn't place it…I wasn't expecting it." There was no wolf in his eyes or his voice as he spoke just above a whisper.

The door at the top of the stairs opened and someone started to descend slowly.

"Hey guys, lunch is ready." Not hearing a negative response Kyle continued down but before he could see anything Ely was already in the bathroom changing back and getting dressed. "Hi Kyle." They both responded. She flushed the toilet and washed her hands for effect before walking out.

As soon as she was out of the bathroom Samuel was on his feet and standing in front of her with supernatural speed. His right hand lifted to her cheek and hovered just above the skin, he was inhaling deeply as he looked at her eyes again. "We'll be up in a minute Kyle." His tone had more command to it than was necessary, Kyle could take a hint.

"I'll let Warren know." He turned around and walked back upstairs.

"What, are you?" He asked looking her over again as his fingers danced along her chin and down her neck.

Ely's nose was once again being assaulted by the smells coming from him, curiosity, arousal, amazement, and protection all turning over so quickly she could barely keep up. The intensity of his presence was making her weak in the knees.

"Walker," the word was almost breathless, "but not many know, don't tell anyone yet."

He leaned into her and placed his lips on hers waiting for her to pull back, but instead he received the liquid touch of her tongue as she opened her mouth. He didn't need more invitation than that and he began to assault her mouth with his. He didn't touch her anywhere else and when her legs, officially completely jello by this point, began to give way she backed up a step for support from the wall. Her finger tips touched his side indicating that he had permission to follow and he did but still did not press against her body.

They stood in the theater room kissing for quite some time before the doorbell upstairs rang and Warren's heavy footsteps moved across the ceiling to answer it. A female voice responded to his hello.

"Hi, my name is May."

Ely snapped into focus and stiffened. She breathed a single word, "May," and slid away from Samuel, she was half way up the stairs before he even realized she had left.

At the top of the stairs she was running as fast as she could to the front door.

"May?" Her voice was desperate as she rounded the corner but when she saw the other woman her face lit up.

The woman dropped her bag and pushed past Warren grabbing Ely in a hug as tears began to stream down their cheeks.

"Mom, I found you. I'm so glad you're still here."


	10. Chapter 10 Alex

"Mom?" Warren and Kyle stated in harmony.

"May is my daughter." Ely stated proudly and stepped back from the petite chestnut haired girl holding her arms out to look at her. "Your hair is so long, it looks so wonderful on you, did Eric have you, oh May…. You… you're pregnant?!" She dropped to the floor and placed her hands on May's belly and kissed it.

May giggled, "Yup, 24ish weeks. I was so excited when I got your message last week I had to come and tell you in person. We're not finding out what it is, we want the surprise." She pulled her mother up off the floor. "What about you Mom? What are you doing that had your defenses are down so much I could feel you from miles away this morning."

"Oh honey, nothing much and I don't want to talk about me." She dragged May to the kitchen and poured her a glass of orange juice. "We were just going to have lunch, here sit."

Samuel rounded the corner, carrying his suit jacket and looked at the young woman. May stopped and looked at him, then her mother and smiled.

"May this is Samuel Cornick. Samuel this is my daughter May."

Shock hit Sam's face, "I didn't know you had a daughter." He reached forward and shook her hand.

"And I didn't know she had a Sam." May raised an eyebrow at her mother.

"Stop it young lady, I don't have a Sam. He is one of the local wolves."

"Oh," her cell phone rang "hang on that is Eric, he wanted me to call when I found you and I've been walking for a couple hours now."

She only had a moment to say hello before Ely grabbed the phone from her. "Eric? You wonderful boy I am so proud of you!"

There was loud laughing on the other end, "Oh really Ely? You're proud of me for ravishing your daughter like crazy nearly every day?"

"You bet I am young man. I can't wait to meet whoever is in there waiting to come out."

"Neither can we, did she tell you the name yet?"

"No, she said you were waiting to find out the sex."

"Well, we are, but if we have a boy we'd like to name it Gregory, with your blessing and all."

"Oh Eric," she hugged her daughter as she talked to her son-in-law, "of course you have my blessing you silly silly wolf."

"Good, we're honored. Can I talk to my wife now please?"

"Oh, of course. I love you, tell Lance and his mate I say hi." She handed the phone back to May and started making her daughter a plate of food. They only spoke for another moment and then she hung up.

"He has gotten crazy since the day he found out I was pregnant; I practically had to threaten to leave him to get him to let me come out here on my own." May grabbed a piece of bacon for the BLT's and munched happily.

"Aw, sweety, he just loves you. He's a nervous first time father. Your father was the same."

Kyle jumped in to make a sandwich. "Even gay men get freaked out about pregnant women, there's still a part of us that thinks we need to protect, and the fact that we can't do anything to directly help the child is nerve-wracking." Everyone stopped and looked at him and he shrugged, "My cousin was pregnant once and it scared the hell out of me every time she walked up or down a flight of stairs."

"What's this about you walking for hours this morning?" Ely pointed a mayo covered knife at her daughter waving it slightly.

May shrugged. "I just wanted to walk. I took a cab to the general area and just walked in the direction I needed till I got here; took about 3 or 4 hours. People in this town are nice, I had some 70 year old couple stop and drive next to me for a while before I could convince them I wasn't lost and was just enjoying the exercise. The little old man was more insistent than his wife, his wife just kept chattering to me about when she was pregnant and how much she enjoyed taking walks until she got a bit bigger than I am. Mom, the bickering was so cute."

"Well, don't make a habit of it. Anything could have happened to you."

Ely noticed out of the corner of her eye that Samuel was walking down the hall towards the door and followed him. She reached out to touch him but pulled her hand back as he turned to face her.

"You're leaving?" she whispered so the others couldn't hear.

"Yes, I am figuring that you are going to be doing things with your daughter for the rest of the day correct?" He whispered back.

"Uh, yeah, but I would like to finish our conversation."

"Why are we whispering?" he leaned in a bit closer, "So would I, but I can wait. Call me later and I will take you both to dinner if you are in the mood." He smiled another one of those lopsided irresistible smiles and Ely nodded resisting the intense urge to kiss him; she licked her lips instead.

"I will thanks."

"Good-bye everyone." Sam called from the door,

The rest of the meal was mostly the women gushing to each other and the men watching in utter fascination.

"Oh, so you two are gay?" May asked bluntly. "Huh, never met gay wolves before." She shrugged and chewed on a tomato.

"Sweety, Warren is the wolf, like you and your mom, I'm just a simple human trying to fit into the crazy life of the best man he's ever met." Kyle responded and Warren leaned in to kiss him.

"Awwww," May went all soft and romantic smiley, "I think I'm gonna cry." She did too, she started tearing up and blowing her nose, tears poured down her cheeks and she flushed red. "Sorry," she sniffed out, "Sorry, I'm so….I'm so emotional." Everyone, May included, started laughing. With lunch finished the women cleaned the mess and headed upstairs to Ely's room.

Once behind closed doors May looked at her mother, both hands on her hips. "Mom, and don't you dare lie to me. What is up with you and, if I'm not mistaken, the Marrok's oldest SON?!"

"Shhhh, May. Nothing. We went to dinner, that's it."

"So I'm right, that is the Marrok's son… and dinner, as in last night, and he's still here, and," she walked over to her mother and inhaled deeply, "and I can smell him on you. Unless you've suddenly become male and wear very expensive cologne now."

Ely flopped down on her bed.

"Yes you are right, and I don't know honey. We went to dinner and fell asleep downstairs watching a movie, that's it. Oh and Kyle doesn't know I'm a walker so don't talk about it around him."

May joined her mother on the bed although slower and with much less flop. "I won't. I'm glad, ever since, well… you need someone to look after you."

Ely patted her daughter's hand. "No I don't honey, I've got myself just fine. He would like to take us to dinner tonight if you are up for it."

"Sounds great, but no seafood, I can't be within 20 feet of the seafood isle at a grocery store let alone eat the stuff right now." Ely laughed. "I'll let him know." She sent Sam a text confirming dinner and rolled up close to her daughter hugging her. May fell asleep shortly after and Ely watched her miracle sleep for quite some time before drifting off herself; her hand lying protectively on her daughter's stomach.

Ely's cell phone woke her up and she groped around in the dark for it. Ugh, it was dark, what time was it?

"Hello?" she choked out clearing the sleep from her voice.

"Hello Nallely. It's Sam. I got called into the hospital earlier so I'm running late. Would you like to reschedule?"

"Huh? Um, no. Ugh, what time is it?" she sat up in the bed and reached over to rub May's back.

There was a warm laugh. "It is 7:30, we had agreed on 6. This is the first moment I have had free to call."

Ely let her head swing back and cracked it on the headboard. "Ow, damn… ow…sorry, um yeah, well we fell asleep, so we haven't eaten yet." She rubbed the small welt on the back of her head. "If you're not too tired then we can still go out, up to you."

May rolled out of the bed grumbling about peeing too much and went into the bathroom. "No seafood places!" She yelled from the bathroom.

"No seafood, understood. Then shall we say an hour? I am almost home and need to get the hospital off me."

"Yeah, sounds good, we need to get ready too. See you then, bye."

"Till later." His deep voice vibrated through the phone sending a pleasing chill down her spine. He hung up the phone and Ely flopped down sideways on the bed rubbing her head gently.

May walked out of the bathroom. "Do we have time to shower?"

"Yeah, go ahead. May, I don't want you blabbing our life history tonight understand? I haven't even had a chance to talk to Samuel about anything more than small talk and I know how you get."

"Blah blah blah Mother." The shower started and May got in without saying anything more.

Exactly an hour later Samuel stood at the door, in jeans and a green button up, ringing the doorbell. Warren let him in. The women were still upstairs having gotten in a rather heated discussion about what Ely was going to wear. She wanted jeans and a t-shirt and May agreed with jeans, but a better pair, ones with some nice contrasting seams on the sides and a spaghetti strap tank. They ended up agreeing on a baby doll T that would show Ely's figure without making her feel like a whore. Ely had made several comments on how it was crazy that such an ordeal was being made of her clothes and May got to wear whatever she wanted. To which May retorted that she was married and pregnant, she didn't need to dress up to impress anyone.

Samuel walked inside and waited patiently.

"I called Adam and told him she was going out with you." Warren told him.

Sam raised an eyebrow, "For what reason?"

Warren looked Sam in the eyes. "Because he's my Alpha and she's staying here." He nodded and then looked away.

"May, cut it out, you're driving me crazy. I love you sweetheart, but trust me the only reason I'm not hitting you right now is 'cause you're pregnant, knock it off."

"Watch it old lady, I can take you even though I'm knocked up."

Both women walked down the stairs meeting Warren and Samuel's eyes. At exactly the same time they rolled theirs' and stated, "She's being ridiculous!"

Warren laughed and patted Sam's shoulder. "Good luck with that man." He walked away calling to Kyle. "Kyle, have I told you how glad I am you're a man?"

"I should hope so." Kyle answered from the other room.

They ended up at a small restaurant that Sam guaranteed did not carry seafood of any kind. Dinner went well with May mostly discussing her pregnancy and her fears of being a mother. Samuel was remarkably attentive to her and gave her examples of his wives and their pregnancies being similar. The thought of his previous wives struck an odd cord to Ely, he spoke of multiples, and the discussion of pregnancy meant they had been human. She wasn't surprised that he had mated before, she would have been if he hadn't, it was the multiple human mates thing. Just how old was he? She knew through rumors that his brother Charles was at least 200.

As they were finishing dinner Ely noticed a familiar face enter the restaurant. Stefan, Mercy's vampire _friend,_ walked through the door with a petite red headed woman. Interrupting the conversation Ely grabbed May's hand and squeezed.

"May hide yourself."

"What? Huh, I don't really want to, it makes me so tired right now." She waved her mother off and started to talk to Sam again.

Ely squeezed harder. "May, do as I tell you and hide yourself right now damn it, I don't care."

"Ow, Mom that hurts. What is your… oh." Her eyes followed her mother's to the door and she turned back to Sam. She closed her eyes to concentrate and when she opened them they had moved from the green ones Sam had seen before to the same magical blue color of her mother's.

As he was being seated Stefan walked past their table and stopped when he saw Ely.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise. It has been some time Miss Ely." He bowed slightly. "Good evening Samuel Cornick, may I introduce Alex, a new addition to the family." The woman behind him waved and smiled.

"Hello Stefan, lamb chop tonight?" Ely inquired snidely.

"Oh no dear, not tonight. We are celebrating her joining the household." He looked at May who had not given him more than a cursory glance. "Who is this lovely woman with you?" He held out a hand to May. "Pleased to meet you, I am Stefan."

May took his hand and shook it quickly. "Hi, I'm May." She locked her blues eyes with his and he looked from her to Ely then raised an eyebrow.

"It seems we are all celebrating the arrival of family tonight." He motioned to May's belly but Ely did not miss the actual meaning of his statement. "Congratulations young lady."

"Thanks." May said quickly.

"Pardon me, sir. You're table is ready." The host interrupted.

"Ah, very well; it was a pleasure seeing you all. Have a marvelous evening." He walked away.

"Mom, I'm not even going to get into how messed up that was. Can we leave now? This is draining me like crazy."

Sam stood up and motioned to a waiter. "We need the check as fast as possible. Our young lady is not feeling well." He motioned to May.

"Sir if there was something wrong with.. "

"No nothing wrong, she is just several months pregnant and tired. The check now please." Samuel waved him away.

The waiter returned with the check and Sam paid in cash then escorted them all out. Once outside May stopped for a moment to take all her guards down and relief flowed over her.

"Could you please explain to me why that vampire not only, and very obviously I might add, knew what you are, but how he knew your name and why in the hell he stopped to talk to you?" May was nearly frantic as she all but screamed to her mother.

"It is a long story, let's get in the car and I'll explain." Sam answered not really wishing to have others listen to the conversation.

Sam gave May the short version of what had happened in the territory for the last few years and May responded by informing him just how crazy he and everyone else here was.

When they arrived back at Warren's Sam walked them to the door and May went in with a quick goodnight.

"She leaves on Thursday. I'd like to see you again when she is gone if possible."

"Of course. I look forward to it." He smiled and backed away. "Till then."


	11. Chapter 11 Eric

Thanks for all the amazing comments so far everyone. Just so you know, I don't speak French so I had to use an online translator. I hope it isn't too far off!

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Sam and Ely walked into Adam's house debating the finer points of the alto versus tenor saxophone argument. They entered the kitchen and Ely stopped a wide smile crossing her face.

"Eric!" She walked towards her daughters mate stopping cold in her tracks when bright green eyes met hers.

"Where is she?" he pushed through clenched teeth.

"Where is who?" Ely asked, he couldn't possibly mean May.

In a heartbeat he was pressing Ely to the wall his large hands on her upper arms and she whimpered from the pain. Everyone jumped, his pack mates stood a few feet behind him ready to move and Adam's wolves were on their feet looking for their Alpha's command.

"Where is my MATE?" His breath hot on her face he lifted her off the floor and she cried out again beginning to shake as her eyes started flickering blue and the lights began to dance along in time.

"Eric man come on," one of his wolves spoke, "that's her mom man what are you doing?"

Eric turned his cold gaze to the wolf over his shoulder, "Silence! She lies, she knows something!" Things around the room started flying at him from their homes. A glass from the counter, a pan in the sink, the lamp on the table by the phone; all of them hit him and he didn't flinch, merely squeezed harder and lifted her higher. He turned his head back to Ely his speech barely understandable.

"Stop toying with me! One more tim…." A large hand shot between them and grabbed Eric around the neck. Samuel worked his massive form between them and stared the other wolf down.

"You are out of time and you will release her." Ely groped blindly for Samuel's body, her eyes closed tight from the pain. Eric's left hand, having released when Samuel stepped between them, left her suspended in his right and she clawed at Samuel's shoulder for support against the pressure. The shirt he was wearing ripped as her mind raced in a million directions, where was her May, were the ghosts here yet, when did Samuel get so large, please no one hurt each other; all swirling so fast she couldn't control them.

"I'm not afraid of you Marrok's son." The wolves behind him took a step back when he revealed Samuel's lineage.

Samuel stepped up and pushed himself against the other wolf's chest, Ely lost her grip on his shoulder and cried loudly as her body shifted. His free hand swung behind and offered what little support he could. "Release her…NOW."

Eric couldn't stand the power rolling off Samuel, his pack mates had already knelt on the ground in response and Adam's wolves were visibly shaking to control themselves. Adam stepped forward with his palms raised peacefully to release some of his calming power over his pack their breathing slowing almost instantly. Unable to resist but unwilling to admit defeat Eric released his grip and an ear piercing roar echoed as the first of his bones began to pop with the shift.

Samuel took another step forward and pushed the raging wolf backwards down the staircase to the basement. Quick on his feet Darryl flew past Samuel to open the safe room door as the sound of tearing clothes, breaking bones and vicious howls filled the basement. Seeing the door open Samuel battled with the lupine until he was able to throw him in the room. Just as Eric rushed the exit Darryl slammed the cage shut sealing him in. His angered howls continued as the change tore through him the rest of the way.

"You okay?" Darryl slapped Sam on the shoulder.

"I'm fine." White eyes and a gruff voice struck Darryl like a fist and he realized that Sam had barely stopped himself from killing the other wolf. There was no way anyone in the household would have been able to control Samuel if he lost it, hell survival would have even been difficult; that much was certain.

Samuel walked upstairs to find Adam in front of the kneeling wolves. They were shaking as they held hands. He was speaking to them both; sweat dripped down his brow. Golden eyes focused on Samuel. "Help me," he ground out. Sparing a glance at Ely leaning against the wall talking to Warren and Mercy Samuel nodded and squatted down next to one of them. Adam began focusing on the one he called Tony and Samuel on the other named Malcom. After a few minutes they had both wolves calm enough to resist the call of their superior packmate's change.

When he turned around Ely was picking up the broken lamp bits with Mercy and Warren on her tail trying to convince her to stop. Mercy put a hand on the woman's back and Ely spun, "Don't touch me." She turned back to the cleaning blue eyes flicking to Samuel's white as she did. He took a step forward and she spoke to the mess, "Don't come near me." Her hands shook and she cut her palm on the pieces; every person in the room stiffened and flared their nostrils at the scent of the blood. She wiped it down the front of her jeans without stopping. Her arms growing discolored from Eric's attack, the black and purple handprints on each one screamed to all the wolves as to how hard he had actually been holding her.

When she finished she walked down the stairs to the basement and sat on the bottom step her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She flinched each time Eric slammed his storm cloud grey body against the bars.

Tentative footsteps behind her alerted her to the presence of one of the others, too light to be Samuel she inhaled deeply and caught the familiar scent of Malcom.

"May I?" he inquired, his accent lighter than it had been years ago; she nodded silently.

He lowered himself next to her and slowly placed an arm around her. She leaned into him her face landing in the crook of his neck and his other hand softly stroked her hair, occasionally scratching behind her ear for a moment before continuing.

"What happened? I don't understand, Samuel and I dropped her off at the airport yesterday. She should have been in Delaware within a few hours." Her voice shaky with contained tears. The last day and a half had been relatively calm. Ely and her daughter had done some shopping, talked about girl things, and discussed Mercy and her situation.

"Ah, ma bichette, your daughter never arrived. The airline says that she checked in but she did not get off the plane back home. Several hours after he left to get her Eric called Lance in a frenzy. She had called and confirmed you dropped her off and since you choose to not carry a cell phone all the time he was unable to reach you so he panicked. Lance sent Tony and I with Eric to come here to find her. Oh Nallely, you should have seen him on the plane, when there was a 30 minute take off delay he nearly lost it. We had to keep reminding him that snapping and killing the pilot would not get us here faster. At one point he actually broke the arm of the chair."

"You fools shouldn't have taken him on a public plane." She tensed at footsteps at the top of the stairs then buried herself into the wolf more and he continued the petting adding a slow rubbing motion along her back. Once the steps left she relaxed and continued their conversation.

"He would not wait for a private plane to open up to bring him. When we landed I had to take him outside while Tony got a car. He had scared the poor girl in training behind the Hertz counter so much I thought she was going to fall over from a heart attack."

"Malcom, what will we do? I've never seen Eric like this," she motioned to the pacing wolf who stopped and growled at them when his name was mentioned. "I saw his call but he didn't leave a message so I thought he was just letting me know she was home. My May is missing, my baby girl and her baby inside, they are gone." She hugged onto the wolf harder, her knuckles white with how tightly she was gripping him.

"Ahhh… shhhhh," he rested his cheek on the top of her head and his accent thickened as he spoke. "No, no ma cheri. We will find her, her and her child. Love is a crazy thing my dear, and mating intensifies for us wolves in a way you will never understand. Eric will come around in the morning, he just needs to burn it off. If nothing you have the three of us, and I believe the Marrok's son will step in also as he seems to be fond of you."

"It's nothing serious really, we're both outside Hauptman's pack here, we have that in common so we chat." She could feel her cheeks blushing at the conversation, glad he couldn't see them.

He stifled a laugh. "Ah, I see, it is good you have that then my dearest, but you cannot lie to me, you know this." His fingers landed behind her ear again rubbing in a clockwise motion he knew would get the purr he wanted and her body responded accordingly. "Why don't you tell me how you came into the territory of the most powerful Alpha in the country, aside from the Marrok himself." Ely did as he asked, telling him the stories of the last two weeks, running from the vampire, Mercy, Adam, Stephan, Warren and Kyle. "Warren is gay then?"

"Yeah, you'd love his boyfriend; amazing taste, witty brain, body that doesn't quit, I'm actually surprised he hasn't asked to go through the change, although I don't think Warren would be able to handle the risk. I think he'd make it though."

"Nallely, you know I prefer women."

"Yeah but I know you've played the field their Frenchie." She taunted and poked him in the ribs.

He poked her in the back gently. "We are all young, stupid and curious sometimes dearest. Why don't you close your eyes and rest a bit. We cannot do anything until he shifts back." She nodded softly and closed her eyes listening to his heartbeat and his breathing.

"Malcom, thank you for coming with him."

"It is nothing dear. Anything for you." He kissed the top of her head chastely. The next time he spoke it was in French. "Si seulement mon loup vous accepterait la moitié autant que je vous aime ma déesse sombre."

She snorted and whined. "You know I don't speak French."

"Then some day you will have to learn and you will understand what I am saying to you Nallely." He rocked her slowly until she fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12 Morning

This is a long one for ya! No action but a lot of background info! I hope you enjoy!

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Ely woke up in a bed with Samuel's scent surrounding her. She felt his large form behind her and turned her head to look at him. He was still sleeping so she slid out of the bed and went to the bathroom. Her bare feet stung on the cold linoleum floor, it was an icebox in the trailer with the industrial grade air conditioner humming away full blast even though it was fall. She was wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of his sweatpants; the drawstring was pulled tight but they were barely staying on her. She wondered briefly how she got in them and was greeted by a fuzzy memory of him carrying her inside and handing her the clothes to change into. She also remembered having to retrieve him off the small couch in the living room (ever the gentleman) and curling up next to him before falling asleep. She lifted the sleeves of the tee and winced at the intensity of the handprints. Poor Eric, he was so distraught last night, he was going to beat himself up when he saw them.

After cleaning up and borrowing some Listerine she quietly walked back into Sam's room standing in the doorway for a minute to watch him sleep. His shoulders and large arms were bare, his smooth skin pulled tightly over his exquisite muscles. Her fingertips tingled at the thought of touching him; shrugging to herself she walked to his side of the bed and lifted the light blanket and sheet that had been covering them. He had no shirt on but wore a similar pair of drawstring sweats, which she admitted he filled out much better than she did. She stood admiring his body, muscles twitching lightly as he slept. His lower abs, the lowest part that only extremely defined men could boast about formed a delicious V shape delving down past the edge of his pants and pulled her eyes towards the evident morning arousal. Her husband had always been a morning lover, well he was an anytime… well all the time lover, but mornings were always the best.

A sharp pain struck her as the guilt of her actions hit her. Her pregnant daughter was missing and she was standing in a bedroom, getting a peep show and drooling over some wolf; no not just some wolf… Samuel, the Marrok's son, and hey a girl had to admit, the man was divine. Her hand began to shake and she whimpered a little as the contrasting emotions becoming overpowering. Without opening his eyes he reached out and rubbed the outside of her thigh.

"Come back to bed. Adam will call when Eric shifts back." His voice was so groggy, so sexy and rough sounding in the morning.

Ely did as he asked but instead of lying on her side of the bed she climbed on top of Samuel as if she had done it a hundred times before. Her legs on either side of his waist she was very careful to be high enough on his abs to not to actually put pressure on his hardness no matter how badly the sudden scent of arousal from him urged her to. She rolled down onto his broad chest her cheek contacting first above his heart then slipping up his body to rest on his shoulder, her fingertips kneaded softly into his sides. She didn't care how insane it seemed, how inappropriate it was. She needed the contact, the warmth of his body, the feel of power and the smell of strength, dominance and security. She needed it all and she was going to take it. She was being greedy; consequences be damned; she'd deal with them later.

Slightly taken aback by her actions Samuel woke a bit more. Fascinated with how much she truly was like a giant cat sometimes, deadly and powerful in the toned form, but soft and cuddly too. He manipulated the long black hair over them, spreading it down her back, enjoying the delicate smoothness of the strands. He slid his hand under the blanket and into her shirt to stroke her spine gently. He noticed an upward movement of her ass each time his fingertips reached her lower back and he toyed with it occasionally, letting the fingers dance there; seeing if he could get her to raise it a hair higher. He smiled when he found he could. Both he and the wolf were happy with his clothing and scent covering her. There was nothing left of the scent of the other wolf.

"You smell good with my scent on you." He whispered to her.

Her only response was a shushing sound before he felt her body shaking and a tear drop on his chest.

"Nallely, it is okay, we will find her." He continued stroking her spine and wrapped his other arm around her tightly rocking them sideways softly. She continued to cry the sniffles becoming more pronounced and he reached to his nightstand retrieving a Kleenex for her. She took it and sat up to blow her nose. As she did she slipped back a hair and nudged the tip of his cock. He hissed just a bit, his hips jerking up as his fingers clasped onto her legs through the thin blanket.

Ely's cheeks flushed pink and her eyes widened as she whispered, "sorry." She slid back up and laid down again.

"No I'm sorry. I'm not a pup, I have better control than this." He resumed the soothing attention to her spine as he held her. Gods but he wanted to wipe away her tears, give her back her daughter, make the pain leave, something so wonderful should never feel sadness. His body was on a different path than his mind though, having just barely felt the warmth she held it screamed to explore more of her, feel her hair brush his chest, kiss her spine as she knelt in front of him. Cursing himself he pushed it aside. "How are your arms?"

"They hurt, but I'm fine, he didn't break anything, just bruises."

"Good to know, I'm sorry I didn't step in sooner, but I wasn't sure you would want me to. Until your eyes started changing colors and things started flying around the house I didn't realize how serious it was."

"It's okay, thank you for helping to keep Malcom and Tony in check."

He shrugged. "There are some perks to being the second most powerful wolf in country." She laughed at him and brushed the underside of his jaw with her cheek. "So," he hesitated, "who is Malcom?"

"Malcom," she began with a slightly irritated sigh. It was so predictable for a man, more so for a wolf, his nature couldn't keep his curiosity at bay. Who was the potential intruder into his territory? Ely paused briefly thinking about that; wait a minute, when did she become his territory? She continued but tried to lighten the annoyance in her voice, "was courting me for a short while before I met my husband, May's father. You know, young girl, older man with a devastatingly sensual accent. I was falling for him and he seemed to for me but eventually he started pushing me away. I got frustrated, and in my youth and stupidity, walked away from him. After I met May's father Malcom became more of a brother to me than anything else; he walked me down the aisle at our wedding. After May's father died and…well he was there for May and I through those losses also." She hugged him tighter.

"Do you know why he pushed you away?"

"I was too young and immature for him; too needy and annoying."

Samuel made a huffing sound. "That's not why."

"Oh he told you?"

"No he told you last night and I overheard him."

"He did? I don't remember. What did he say?" She pushed herself up on her elbows and looked in his eyes; one hand reached forward and twirled his hair in her fingers.

"Well, I think the reason he says it to you in French is because he doesn't want you to know." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I didn't know you speak French. What if I promise to kiss you again if you tell me? We haven't kissed since the morning May showed up at Warrens."

"Hmmmm I think that would convince me. I want the kiss first though mi'lady."

"You drive a hard bargain mister." Yup, proper behavior be damned, she needed a distraction.

She smiled and lifted her lips to his gently kissing him; her tongue dipped in for a taste then retreated quickly.

"Spill it wolf."

He grabbed her and rolled her over until he was on top of her his loose arm skillfully assuring her hair didn't get pulled. He begrudgingly kept their arousal apart but took a moment to apply just a bit of pressure into hers with his hip bone; a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as she gasped from the pressure and he basked in the heat that flushed her skin and lifted her scent to him. Samuel felt a little wrong taunting the woman with flirtation and thoughts of physical pleasure as her daughter's life was in question, this wasn't his standard procedure, but he needed to do something to distract her from the sadness and well… he wanted to so he was going to, besides, it was working. He hadn't lied when he'd said they would call. Adam was already in contact with the officials at the airport getting copies of all of the security tapes; Mercy was out talking to Stefan and Zeke trying to get a line on something. There was nothing they could do and letting Ely break down was not an option.

"Well mi'lady, even though I must say that I feel slightly cheated by that brief kiss I am a man of my word and neither intensity nor duration were discussed, Malcom said," he began using a fake French accent severely in need of improvement, "If only my wolf would accept you half as much as I love you my dark goddess." He cut the accent and looked her directly in the eyes. She was still playing with his hair and he began the same near the base of her neck. "It seems that Malcom the man is very much in love with you, but his wolf, for reasons I don't know nor will I ever begin to understand does not accept you as a possible mate."

"Oh…" Her eyes widened at the realization that it was most likely because of what she was that she was rejected. Sadness was overcome as she smiled and lifted her head so their lips were barely touching, "His wolf's loss if you ask me." She kissed him fully and nudged herself up against his hip a little, pleased when she felt his hand on the bed grip the sheet next to her as his body tensed. She did not miss the sensation of his thumb brushing the lowest part of her breast, tingles shooting through her body in response. Eventually, she pulled away, both of them breathing heavily.

"I agree." He answered as he nuzzled her ear.

She slid her hand up his neck keeping his face buried in her hair. "Relax for me; let your weight rest on me."

"I'm too heavy for you, I don't want to crush you." He muttered between soft licks just under her ear.

"I'll be fine. Please?" He kissed where he had just licked and let his arms go loose slowly lowering himself on her, dear god but she smelt like heaven. "Like the mountains after the rain," he whispered.

She forced a breath getting used to his weight, he was right, he was heavy; a good 50 lbs or more heavier than her husband had been, and her husband was not a small man in any manner. Samuel was muscle heavy and she wouldn't be surprised if he was massive in wolf form. She reveled in the feeling of being under so much man again. She made a very conscious decision at that moment; she wouldn't fuck the current man in her arms; she wasn't that mean. Wolves took sex so seriously; they rarely slept around unless they were a particularly vicious Alpha with extra unmated females. Samuel was too sweet to fuck and leave once they found May. After today she was going to pull the reins back in. No it needed to be sooner. After this morning, well in a few minutes she would. She just needed a little more time.

"May is not my only child you know." She began softly. "Her father Greg and I had two other children. May was named so because we couldn't decide on a name and were arguing about it while the midwife was trying to clean me up from the birth. She yelled at us both and told us it was May 11th, the girl was a May flower, the best of them, any name would do. We kissed the woman and named her May. The second was our son Felix, who ironically ended up being another Lion walker like May and me. We laughed for hours the first time he shifted and we noticed we were the parents of Felix the cat." Samuel laughed at her statement and fidgeted slightly to move himself to her other side where he continued worshipping her neck. "He didn't come until nearly 10 years after May had arrived. Four short years later we had our last son Baron, he end up a bear walker. I was petrified at the prospect of having to raise a bear walker, they are a handful once they reach around 5 or 6, but I was ecstatic in the fact that we had 3 healthy children and were so blessed by the ancestors that each would walk along side me. More likely than not it has nothing to do with blessing and more with the ancestors attempting to replenish our numbers; we are so few." She returned Samuel's kisses with one to his temple.

"No, don't say that, each of your children is a blessing and being gifted with Walkers from your ancestors even more so." There was soft determination in his voice, he wasn't just saying it, he believed it. "Wait a moment, May is only 20, that would mean…" he paused and did the math, "Baron is only just turning six now."

"He would be yes," she gripped him tighter as she felt the tears beginning to burn. "A year after Baron was born their father was killed in a dominance fight with a pack mate. A much older wolf was always upset with the fact the Greg was more dominant than him, had a mate, and a family. The family part especially irritated him as it isn't often wolves get families without severe losses along the way, we walkers are rare and have very short life expectancy; averaging the few I have heard of it is mid-20's. I'm very old for a walker. He was jealous and wanted Greg's position and life. He fought Greg and he won. I mourned my husband for a year after that, not leaving our home. I cared for the children, got May off to school each day etc. did what was necessary for their care but nothing more. Malcom helped care for us, he brought us groceries and the like, reported back to the Alpha, Lance, as to our status, took the children out when I was having a particularly rough day. Greg and Lance were very close and the loss hit him hard as well." She sighed and a cold chill ran through her body, Samuel had stopped his attentions to listen and she nudged his head with her chin. "Please don't stop." He had to keep going; he had to keep her grounded. This was the first time she had talked about these things since right after they happened; his touch was keeping her in the present.

"Never stop." He whispered as he resumed the kisses on the front of her neck and under her chin. One hand slid up her thigh to her hip and he lifted a little to readjust their position giving her another pleasurable zing.

"I finally had to pick myself up, get things in order for my children and start venturing out again. News spread quickly and I had many visitors now that my personal mourning period was over. One evening Zack showed up on my doorstep, his eyes cast down waiting for my approval to enter. Who was I to deny him? He ranked higher in the pack than I did now, my mate being dead, and what had happened was a risk of being dominant in a pack, I knew that going into my marriage. My father was a wolf also, I had been taught. We talked for a long time that night; he apologized, begged my forgiveness, which I gave as a member of pack, never as a woman and wife, explaining as much firmly. Eventually, during our conversation, I ended up falling asleep on the couch. I awoke before dawn to May screaming and running through the house into my arms. Zack was chasing her; his eyes completely lost to the wolf."

Ely pressed herself into Samuels embrace as if he could shelter her from the memories. Her voice became shaky and she choked back tears. He was looking at her intently his eyes nearly pure white looked out of place in a human face, but were so soft with feelings of sympathy a single tear sat in the corner of one. She smiled weakly and cast her eyes down knowing his wolf was close at hand, and having no idea how to deal with it, lack of personal experience with him was a big oops in this situation. She pushed under his chin with her forehead and bared her neck pleading with him silently. He immediately kissed it.

"I grabbed hold of May and wrapped her in my arms pulling on everything I had ever been taught and learned about my powers. Ghosts from as far as I could pull came to my rescue creating a blockade around us as I screamed for the pack I was part of to come to our aid. I remember Malcom crashing through the door first and then noticing the ghosts of my husband and our two boys standing in front of me. Malcom told me later that I had blacked out and collapsed. I woke up in the Alpha's home. May was curled up next to me crying, Eric sat on the floor rubbing her back and Lance, stood in the doorway watching over us. When he looked at me he nodded and said 'I'm sorry, he will harm no one again. I swear I have taken care of him.'"

She paused for a bit to catch her breath and her right hand grazed down his side ending at the edge of his sweats fiddling with elastic band.

"The bastard had killed my youngest children in a rage to separate me from everything about my previous mate; he was insane but had hidden it well. Lance has never forgiven himself for not realizing it. May only escaped because she was nearly 16 and able to use her powers to run to me; Felix's ghost had woken her and warned her." She paused again, her body shaking violently as she relived the experience. Samuel softly rubbed her thigh with his thumb not saying anything as he continued the kisses.

"Eric asked for my blessing to mate with May a few days later. He loved her completely and I knew it so I gave it willingly. Malcom guarded us every minute of every day. If May went out he went with her and placed another wolf, female only, with me. I leaned on May and she in turn leaned on him, another strong male figure for her to look up to. I stayed until the following full moon. I buried my sons next to their father, and witnessed her pack ceremony and their marriage. I busied myself with the preparations and with teaching my daughter all I could of being a good mate and a strong woman. At the time she felt I was being over bearing but now realizes she was the only thing that forced me through that first month." She broke out into uncontrollable sobs and tried to pull Samuel even closer squeezing as tightly as she could. "Samuel what if my last baby dies, what if my daughter and her child come to me as ghosts one night. I have no reason to carry on if not for my May." Samuel held her firmly his own body straining against long buried emotions. Eventually, he reached up to grab her another tissue.

She blew her nose. "I'm sorry, I'm terrible company right now and I think I'm getting your expensive pillows covered in snot. I should get out and be doing something." She moved to leave but his body blocked her lightly as he laughed and grabbed another tissue. "There is nothing to do yet they are working on it." Frustrated with her sadness and his inability to do anything about it Samuel tended her tears as he held her gaze. He knew his eyes were white, his wolf was dying to tear something apart in response to her pain, while at the same time it was gentle and only wanted to heal her.

"The cases will wash, they don't matter. Nallely, I am so sorry, I didn't realize…he is lucky his Alpha got a hold of him; Father never would have stood for it and would have sent Charles after him. Charles would not have been a good thing in that case. I don't think the Alpha ever told Father everything that happened. We would have at least heard about it. We heard about Greg, but…" He trailed off into muttering how sorry he was as he brushed hair from her face. She was supposed to be distracted, not reliving her horrible past.

"The day after May and Eric were mated I had the Alpha break my pack bond. The day after that I left. I couldn't stay there. Maybe someday I'll go back, but I can't just yet. I spent a year burning through my sadness by lighting vampires on fire each time I killed them. The next was spent cutting them to pieces in rage. The next was the most dangerous, my loneliness taking charge I tempted them into my hotel rooms, never fucking them but seeing how close I could get them before the opportunity to kill arose. I'm surprised I made it through that year. Taking them on in the middle of the night is not typically a smart thing to do. This last year has just been hunting and killing, no emotion to fill it, just calmness and the completion of my duties as a walker. All justified in some crazy way that I am protecting my May; each one I kill is one less she'll have to meet and kill someday."

She sighed, "Now I'm here with you." She locked eyes with him again and placed a small amount of pressure on the back of his neck in request of a kiss, letting him take lead. He leaned in and brushed his lips on hers. His tongue pressed forward demanding she open her mouth and she did. Sliding it along the roof of her mouth tickled her resulting in a smile. Enjoying her smile he repeated the action.

The small hint of guilt she had been feeling for using this man this way quickly disappeared as he rolled his hip between her legs again and pulled ever so slightly on her thigh. She let her nails drag up his back and he released a satisfied chuckle as he nipped her lower lip in response. She hooked her leg around his waist and pulled roughly to finally push the full length of him against her as she kissed him. The hint she had gotten earlier as to his endowments was nothing compared to how amazing he felt fully pressed to her. Samuel growled, urgent and demanding as his hand grabbed at her hip pulling her against him roughly, his mouth landed in an open and firm yet loose bite on her neck pinning her to the bed. A typical response to a predator like Samuel at one's neck would be to hold still and pray his anger would pass, but Nallely knew better and her entire body squirmed under him, back arching and a quick excited purr starting from within her.

Samuel's phone rang and he grunted resting his forehead on her throat panting for a few moments before looking at the caller ID. "It's Adam." He moved off Ely and answered the phone. As soon as the words 'he's shifted back' passed through the phone Ely was out of the bed and getting changed. "We'll be there." Sam responded as he dropped the phone and pulled on a fresh t-shirt, his eyes were still pure white as he trapped Ely's half clothed form in the corner for one last kiss before they finished getting dressed and walked out the door.


	13. Chapter 13 Call A Doctor

As soon as she entered Adam's house Nallely was hit with Eric's scent and he looked up from the kitchen table. When he saw her upper arms he stuttered, "Oh my…" casting his eyes down he tucked his head and waited for her to walk to him. When she got to him he gently touched the injuries, the left side much darker than the right. When she flinched he pushed the chair out from under himself and knelt in front of her. "Mom, I am so sorry... I can't, my May… I don't… but I hurt…" she leaned against him and put his head on her stomach.

"Shhhhh Eric… I know." He grabbed her around the waist and cried in her arms. A tear dripped down her cheek. "Come on. We need to talk and start figuring out where our May has gone to." He nodded against her and lifted himself up. When he looked behind her and saw Samuel he stopped, his temperament changed; he went from mourning husband in need of comfort to guilty wolf. He crawled on hands and knees to Samuel and knelt in front of him his eyes on Sam's feet and his head tilted to expose his throat.

"Samuel Cornick, Son of the Marrok, please punish me as is fit for my disrespect."

Sam stared at the wolf letting the tension rise as the room waited for him to take an action. One large hand stretched out and cuffed Eric on the back of the head, the contact was loud and Ely cringed at its intensity.

"Don't do it again. It is forgiven. Mating makes the sanest wolf crazy, women do that to us." He chuckled letting the serious moment roll off so the room could relax. Eric stood and popped his neck before sitting back at the table. Ely perched on her stool at the island counter, briefly surprised that she was comfortable enough to consider this particular seat her seat, when had that happened? When had she gotten so involved with the wolves here that she felt secure and at home in the Alpha's den?

"Well let's go people. Everything is in order, stop lazing about and find my daughter. Do we have anything?"

Adam spoke first. "I obtained copies of the videos from the airport. Mercy spoke with Stefan, he doesn't know anything or at least that is his story, but he is willing to look into it as much as he can, which isn't much considering he has no business in it. She's on her way to talk to Zeke now. Hopefully, the Fae have heard something." He spun the laptop around and hit the play button on the video.

There was no sound but the video showed May going through security and walking down the long corridor to the gate. She sat at an empty seat at the gate and read a magazine for about five minutes before another woman, also pregnant sat across from May, her back to the camera. The women started talking, obviously about being pregnant as each woman rubbed her stomach occasionally and the stranger pulled some small clothes from a gift store bag and held them up for May to investigate. May held the tiny clothes up to her stomach and laughed dreamily. Eric's hand went to the monitor and touched the screen where his mate's stomach sat wearing the small clothes; a tear hit the table and he pulled his hand back wiping it away.

The scene continued, the women chatting and more people arriving. Eventually May stood up and moved back into the hall motioning to the bag and a direction down the hall. The woman she had been talking to nodded and pointed in the same direction. As May collected her things a man rushing past her slammed into her knocking her into a column near where she was standing. The other woman stood up and reached for May to help her off the floor, yelling to the man who did not stop. Once May was standing again she brushed herself off and began collecting her things. As she did she put a hand to her forehead and reached out for support against the column she had been slammed into. Wavering slightly she let her bags fall to the floor and started swaying. The woman she was with began panicking and reached out to catch her but with her own pregnant belly was unable to do much to assist May. May fell to the floor and the woman knelt next to her.

Everyone in Adam's house inhaled quickly and held their breath as May hit the floor. At the counter by the gate a woman picked up a phone and began motioning to May as she lay on the floor. Another attendant rushed from behind the counter and placed his face near hers, he nodded quickly that she was breathing as he pointed to the shallow lift of her chest. After about 10 seconds a medical crew arrived checking May's vitals they spoke into some walkie talkies and lifted her onto a stretcher. A mask was placed on her face, one man gathered her things and followed them all down the hall; another stayed and took a statement from the second pregnant woman.

Adam clicked another file and pulled up a second video of the outside of the airport. There was an ambulance waiting which was quickly filled with May and the technicians. The lights kicked on and the ambulance took off down the road.

"Hospitals, we have to check the hospitals." Ely whispered through tear stained cheeks. Sam stepped up behind her and handed her a tissue. Malcom reached forward and rubbed Ely's knee reassuringly. "Cheri, we will find her," he whispered.

"I did." Eric answered. "Before we took off from Delaware and right after we landed. I asked all of them if a pregnant woman had been brought in. We'll call again now that we know it was an airport crew that brought her in, maybe we'll have a better chance, but I don't think she was taken to a hospital. Did anyone else think it too convenient that the pregnant woman and the man that hit May never showed their faces to the camera? What about other angles? Other cameras?"

Adam sighed, "I haven't had a chance to go through all of the video feeds yet, airports have unbelievable amounts of cameras and it is going to take a while, especially to track backwards through what everyone in the area was doing before May was taken. Ben is on his way over with his laptop, this is what he does so he'll be a big help once he gets here."

Ely stood up. "I'm going to the airport." She looked around and stopped on Malcom. "May I borrow the rental car?"

He stood up, "I will escort you, you shouldn't go on your own. If someone is using May to get to you, you cannot walk into their trap."

"I can take her." Samuel spoke up.

"Samuel, I need you to stay here with Eric, work on the hospitals, your authority may get us some information we can't get without you. Adam is going to work on the videos with Ben, Mercy is still out. We're going to head to the airport although I don't know what good it will do, they won't let us past security."

"Call Tony." A voice from the hall said quietly.

Ely turned and looked noticing for the first time that Jessie had been standing in the hallway listening.

"Who's Tony?"

"He's a friend of Mercy's, a cop, he'll probably be able to get you past security at the airport and down to the gate. It's worth a shot at least."

"I'll call him." Adam grabbed the phone and walked down the hall for privacy.

"Jessie you are so smart sweetie." Ely hugged her. "I need your help. Do you have any large pieces of paper and a bunch of markers? We need to start making lists and maps and connecting things a who's who kind of deal. Suspects etc."

Jessie lit up and smiled. "Do I have markers? Please… I have more markers than hair colors!" She raced off down the hall, said turquoise hair bouncing. When she came back she was on her phone. "Yup, big pieces of paper, probably 3 by 4 or bigger, oh and some little sticky notes in different colors, whatever you think you can find. I'll pay you back when you get here. Awesome!" She paused as the person on the other end spoke. Her cheeks got beat red and she turned around quickly whispering, "Thanks honey, love you too."

Ely looked at her with a raised eyebrow and Jessie pointed a finger at her. "Don't you even dare!" She pointed at Sam and back at Ely before dumping the marker boxes on the table. Ely laughed, the girl was not lying, she had every color marker possible.

"Don't tease the child Ely, May was her age when you agreed to our mating." Eric said in defense of the teen.

"May is a different story, she was raised in a harsher world and older in mind than she was in years." Ely said sternly.

"I think the Alpha's daughter can handle herself against boys." He winked at Jessie.

Adam returned from the hall, "Tony is waiting for you at the police station," he started writing on a piece of paper, "here are the directions. He'll ride with you and get you access to the gate. What about boys and my daughter? I have a problem with just the one, there are more?"

"No Dad, Ely is just picking on me.

"Without missing a beat Ely took the paper and headed to the door. "Let's go. We'll be back as soon as we can. I have my phone on me if anyone needs anything." Malcom followed her out.

"Wow, she's a take charge kinda lady isn't she?" Darryl commented when the door shut.

"Ely doesn't fuck around when it comes to May, pack rules and order be damned in her eyes; her daughter is above everyone. If any of us had a problem with it she'd kick our asses or find a way to kill us in our sleep if it meant May was safe again. Woman scares the every living fuck out of me sometimes. I've seen her kill; it's an art form when she does it." Eric was impatiently strumming one of the markers on the table as he spoke.

"Eric, watch your language around my daughter or remove yourself from my house." Adam stood staring.

"Sorry man." He looked at Jessie. "I apologize Jessie."

"No problem, it's more for Dad's insane old school manners than it is for me anyways." Adam grunted and tossed his hands in the air.

Eric hit play on the video again and watched intently as the events repeated themselves, forever locked in silent black and white.


	14. Update 111809

Update

Hi all, I'm sooooo sorry that I haven't written anything in… well months… I decided to take a couple of classes for fun and they are turning out to be a LOT more time consuming than I had planned. Luckily classes are over soon ™ so I will be able to finish this story for you. I already have the Epilogue and last chapter written I just have to connect the last one I wrote to them and we will be good to go.

Sorry!

--Anightgirl


	15. Chapter 14 Out and About

"Where are we going?"

"Out. You need to relax. You've barely slept since the night Eric showed up and you are pushing yourself too hard. We're going to the crafter fair, my treat." Samuel looked at Nallely his voice instructive to let her know she had no choice.

"Not going to happen. I have to find May." She stood across Adam's kitchen glaring at Samuel ignoring the audience that was gathered at the kitchen table.

"We are working on it. The guys are following the lead we have on the fake ambulance from Mercy's mechanic contacts and we're getting closer. Until we hear back from them though there is no point in you pacing. We're going out."

"No."

Samuel growled and leaned on the counter across from her. "Yes."

"No."

"Nallely, we're going out, and you're going to relax, and then we're going to go home and go to sleep and wake up in the morning and keep searching." His eyes were flickered with white as he stared at her.

"Samuel Cornick, you are neither mate nor Alpha of me, you cannot instruct me to do anything, no matter how much power you push or growl at me." She mimicked his posture on the counter, the others in the room were attempting not to make their staring obvious, sidelong glances at the pair were brief but frequent.

"Nallely…" he warned.

Malcom slid in front of Nallely placing himself between them. He took her shoulders gently and began to rub them. As he expected he received a growl from Sam but ignored it. "Ely bichette, go with him. We will call the instant we hear anything. Even Eric is getting more sleep than you. Go."

"Is everyone going to gang up on me?" Ely pleaded with the room. Which was answered by a chorus of yeses, uh huhs, and yeps. "Fine."

Nallely grabbed her purse and headed towards the door. Samuel stayed in the kitchen staring at Malcom. "Samuel Cornick, you stop picking on my family and get out here or I'm not going." She called from the hallway. The wolf looked down from Samuel's challenging glare and Sam left.

.

.

ooooooooooooooo

.

.

So this is it. I have tried writing the remainder over and over again and I just can't seem to get it out. The plot involves them going to an outdoor market and Ely catching May's scent on a witch at a stand. After some investigating and more snooping by Mercy and Zeke on her behalf they locate May and the plot unfolds more. The witches were given May as a target by the vampires from the alternate domain after Ely killed the vamp at the beginning. The vamps of this domain didn't help but also didn't stop the plot from going through so tension has arisen there but wasn't going to come to the full boom in this storyline.

Ely calls in walkers of all types and with the wolves and Adam's magic contacts they raid the stronghold and find May and rescue her (yay happy ending.)

Now you can go to chapter 15 and the Epilogue.

Heads up… this is where the sex gets heavy and naughty. If you don't like reading that stuff I put in breaks where you can skip the sex scenes. Just jump to the next marker.

Sorry it took so long, but thank you to everyone who even to this day is still sending me messages telling me to get it done.


	16. Chapter 15 Gone

Samuel couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he pulled his car into the driveway and parked in front of the trailer. The lights were on and he knew that Nallely was inside waiting with dinner. He enjoyed this feeling, coming home to her, her scent filling the small trailer, her smile when he walked in the door. She had been staying there the last two nights since May and Eric had left. Ely had insisted they sit in the terminal for over four hours until they had received the call stating that the couple had landed and were safe in Delaware.

Sam and Ely had spent the last two nights watching movies and talking about their pasts. Sam had finally told her how old he was and the fact that he was around 1100 years old. Time was tracked differently then, so it was a bit up in the air as to exactly how old he and Bran actually were. Bran though had been rumored to be the big bad in Beowulf and modern experts dated the book somewhere between the 8th and 11th centuries. He laughed as he held her and whispered that he knew it was closer to the 8th, but he wasn't going to tell anyone; it was much more fun reading the arguments and thoughts of mortals over the years. They hadn't had sex, there was some light play but nothing too in depth, she kept pulling back from him and he wasn't about to push her.

When he opened the door he immediately knew something was off, she wasn't in the entryway like before. He scanned the small trailer and listened carefully inhaling he found fresh traces of her, but nothing indicating she was nearby. He had said goodbye this morning and she said she would see him later, where had she gone? He dialed his phone and a chill ran down his spine as he heard her phone ringing from the counter. When he glanced over at it he saw it sitting on top of a piece of paper.

_My dear Samuel,_

_Please don't follow me. I can't do this to you, it isn't right. You have been so kind these last few weeks but I am not what you are looking for. _

_-Ely_

Samuel's fist crushed the note and slammed into the counter. This wasn't happening, things had been going so well, why did she leave? He called Mercy as his mind raced recalling every detail of the past few weeks, what he had done to make her insulted. He followed her scent outside; it dropped just past his own car.

"Hi Sam." Her voice was hesitant, she knew something, if the guilt in her voice wasn't enough to tell him the fact that she only ever called him Sam when she was feeling guilty or emotional about him would have clued him in.

"Where is she Mercy?" There was panic in his voice.

"Sam, I… just let her go. She just said she was leaving, she wouldn't say where."

"MERCY!" His voice was growing from panic to anger and his free hand crashed through the rear window of his car.

"Samuel." It was Adam now, his voice a bit more commanding than it should be with Samuel. "The woman wanted to go. She has that right, she's not wolf, even if she were your own father would have no power over making her do something like that against her will."

"Adam, her scent, it's fresh but it just stops, I can't follow it. It's gone." He knew Adam was right, he knew that Bran and Charles and everyone else in this world would tell him that, but he didn't care; he wasn't going to hear it.

"Samuel, you have to relax. Maybe she'll come back in a while, after she's had time to think."

"Fuck you Adam. You have to help me find her." He growled out as he scented for her again.

"Fuck me? Fuck you Sam. I don't have to help you with shit." Adam was getting pissed, he never cursed, especially around women and Mercy was still in the room, her eyes growing wide as the conversation became more hostile.

"Really Adam? Is that what you think? Then answer this for me pup," it was an intentional insult, Adam was an Alpha and Samuel just told him he was nothing more than a newly turned juvenile, "What would you be doing right now if it was Mercy?"

Adam began to growl as Samuel insulted him, but when Sam finished the question there was a loud crack of fist meeting drywall. "Fuck you Sam, I'd be out there doing the same god damn thing you are doing to hunt her down and find her."

"Exactly." Sam smirked to the nothingness. "I can't find her scent, it just picks up and leaves, I think she took a cab somewhere start calling the cab companies, airport shuttles, everything. I'm heading out to find her."

"You owe me for this asshole, and we're gonna talk about that pup comment." Adam promised a fun fight in the future but Sam could care less at this point and knew he could wipe the floor with Adam.

"Yeah, yeah Hauptman." Sam hung up as he whipped the car around the small driveway and headed to the road. Once there he looked down the highway in each direction. Frustration boiled over as he gripped the steering wheel, the soft leather squeaking under the pressure, unable to decide he flipped a coin.

"Heads. Going right I guess." The car took off down the road towards town, he'd check the bus station first. Nearly 10 minutes later, it should have taken almost 20, he pulled up and stormed across the parking lot. Patrons spread like rats running from light as he walked towards the main building, power so strong rolling from him that even their minds instinctually knew the danger. Inhaling deeply he scanned the whole area, nothing no trace of her, not a thing. His phone rang.

"Yeah."

"Cab picked up a woman with long black hair from Mercy's about an hour ago; it went East until it crossed the city lines and dropped her on the side of the road with her stuff. The driver had called it in to the dispatcher because of how weird it was. No destination, just city limits and highway."

Samuel broke into a run back towards his car. "Thanks Adam."

"Yup." Adam hung up.

This was all he needed there was no way he was going to let her get away without at least explaining herself, this shit was not happening again.

Ely had been walking for almost two hours, it had only taken a few minutes to reach the city limits and the driver had told her there was a hotel about 10-15 miles down the road, about 2 more hours if she picked up the pace, her feet started moving faster.

She readjusted her saxophone and her bag and looked up at the sky. The full moon was tomorrow, she had waited the two days to leave knowing that it would put Sam on hold to follow her. She had made the driver swear he wouldn't tell anyone where he had dropped her off so she only had to dodge Sam for the night and then she could get a decent head start on him while the moon forced him to change. Ely nearly jumped to the moon herself when the familiar red Mercedes flew past her to slam on its brakes and skid to the side of the road.

"Damn it, what the hell? Stupid fucking cab driver." She crossed to the opposite side of the road and kept walking, refusing to look at him.

"Ely stop."

"Go away Samuel. I've made my decision."

"Just like that?"

"It wasn't just like that." She glanced at him he was crossing the road towards her, closing the gap.

In a flash he was in front of her like a giant muscular wall, a very chiseled, blue and white eyed wall. She shook her head to herself and sighed regretting it as she caught his scent. She stepped past him and kept walking.

"Go away."

He moved again. "No, not until you tell me why you are leaving; what did I do?"

"It's not you. I promise." She practically walked down the middle of the road to get around him this time.

"Don't try the classic break up lines on me. I had to have done something. Did I kiss you too much? Did my hands roam… if they did I'm sorry, I'll control myself better. Did I say something that insulted you, hurt you, made you angry?" There was a pleading sound in his voice. "Please at least talk to me."

"Samuel, it wasn't your kisses," she stopped this time when he stepped in front of her and met his eyes, not backing down at all. "They were amazing, wonderful, more than I could ask for. It wasn't your hands or any other physical part of you, and it was not a single thing you said. I simply cannot do this."

"Can't do what? Be with a wolf again? Allow yourself to be with someone at all? What is it?" His posture was softening and his hands were clenching and unclenching slowly as if he could barely stop from reaching out.

"Don't you get it? I was stupid when I married my husband, young and impulsive and only thinking of myself and my own happiness, I won't do that again. If he… " she looked up at the moon, "if he hadn't died how he did…"

"What?" He closed the gap to only a couple inches, the moonlight shimmered in his eyes.

"No!" She slammed her palm into his chest surprising him and making him falter a bit. "Go away." She restarted on her path down the road.

Samuel shoulders slumped and he turned to watch her walk away. He started moving to pass her again, but instead fell to his knees; his expensive slacks tore on the gravel. "I don't understand what I did," he whispered but her supernatural hearing caught it and she paused.

Spinning on her heals she stomped back to him. "What will you do?" She pushed him again her height advantage giving her more power than before and he had to catch himself.

"What do you mean?"

She stalked around him the anger pouring from her reeked; it was so strong he could taste the bitterness of it on his tongue and made the mountains seem as if a blizzard had struck. Even though she was raging her feet were silent as they moved her, only the soft squeaking of the hinges on the sax case could be heard. Samuel knew this type of movement, she was hunting him, and it excited and infuriated him at the same time, he was not the hunted.

"Think about it Sam. What will you do?" She demanded an answer he didn't have.

"Well, I'd rather show you than describe…" her hand connected roughly with the back of his head mid sentence and he caught her wrist pulling her around to face him, jumping to his feet, and growling a warning. Now his wolf was getting pissed, she was rejecting him and disciplining him?

"Not sexually you stupid male; in 10 years, when a vampire finally gets me, or in 20, or if I happen to make it 30 years to 70? What will you do?" Her voice was escalating. "If I go back there and accept being your mate, which is where this is going to go do not attempt to deny it. If we give this a go, when I die, and you who has already lived over a thousand years doesn't, what will you do?" she was nearly screaming at him. "What will that do to you? I never thought about that with my husband I was selfish and stupid." She was trying to twist her wrist free and while not painful his grip was strong. "LET ME GO!" He did and she stumbled to the side catching herself on her knees.

"Is that what this is about?" He looked down at her as she picked herself up. "Because you are going to die and unless in a fight or by suicide I won't?" The entire conversation was baffling.

"No you ancient fool, this is about me not wanting to be the cause of you being in a position where I will have to abandon you and you will have to deal with the loss I did when my husband died. I wouldn't wish that on anyone," she looked into his eyes again her voice tender and soft, "especially not someone I care for."

Samuel nodded slowly, now it made sense, he understood some of what she was saying. "Okay, then let's talk about it. I don't think it is fair that you get to make this decision. Come back with me, have dinner, we'll discuss it. When we are done you still want to go I won't stop you, or hunt you down. But at least respect me enough for the discussion."

"UGH!" Her hands flew into the air and she stormed back in the direction she had been coming from.

"Nallely, I'm not going to chase you up and down this road all night."

"No shit Sherlock." She tossed a glance over her shoulder. "I'm getting in the car."

He caught up to her instantly and put his hand on the small of her back. "Thank you."

"What happened to your car?"

"Mercy."

"She broke your window?"

"No, I did when she wouldn't tell me where you had gone." He took her bag and her saxophone and placed them in the back seat.

"Oh. She didn't even know."

"Yeah well, not the first time she has been less than forthcoming with the truth."


	17. Chapter 16 Home Again

Hiya all. Heads up… this is where the sex gets heavy and naughty. If you don't like reading that stuff I put in breaks where you can skip the sex scenes. Just jump to the next marker. oooooooooooooooooo

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The ride back was silent, nerves poured off Ely; she nearly jumped out of the car before it had come to a complete stop. Grabbing her things before Samuel could she hurried into the trailer and dropped them on the floor next to the couch. He found her pacing in the small kitchen.

"Ask me." She said quietly.

"Huh?"

"Ask me what you want to ask me, what you really want to ask, not some sideways question to beat around the bush, just ask me." She opened the fridge searching it frantically, moving nearly every item on the shelves only to grab a bottle of water that had been sitting in the door.

God she looked so scared and his wolf was screaming at him, fighting him for control wanting to cover the frail body of the creature it already considered mate with his body and show her he was her protection. He wasn't going to let it win. He knew she needed comfort, hell they both did, but until she made an advance he couldn't. Fine, she wanted honesty, she was going to get it, in all its wonder she was going to get an honest question. "Nallely, I want you." He took a step closer. "Like you cannot believe, not just sexually, I want you in total, for as long as you'll have me. I know you don't want it like I do…"

"You don't know that." She interrupted but stopped and bit her lower lip when his hand waved her to a halt.

"No, I guess I don't know exactly what you want, you haven't told me. You've told me what you fear, what you love, what some of your passions are and what you have lost but you haven't told me what you want. Nallely, I know what I want and you have the answer to the only question that matters." He sighed and met her eyes, she didn't back down. "Nallely, I can't casually date you, I don't need to. I love you with everything that I am. Will you be my mate?"

She stared into his beautiful blue eyes, so much man in front of her being the ever perfect gentleman and asking instead of taking. Ely had known this was coming; this part of the conversation would have arrived at some point during the evening, no matter how hard they both attempted to avoid it. It was inevitable. The best way to deal with the situation was to just get it over with deny him and leave as he promised her she could.

"Yes." She whispered before she even noticed. It was the correct answer and her heart had won the battle over her mind. In a single beat of that same betraying organ she was surrounded by his scent and wrapped in his arms as he kissed her. His eyes were already changing and Ely let the thrill of being desired so much flow over her, not forcing it away as she had all those times before.

He pulled back from the kiss, "You're sure about this?"

"Yes, and I love you too." she declared more firmly.

"Positive? Because if you want to change your mind you have about 2 seconds."

"I said yes." She kissed him.

Samuel's hands slid to her ass and he lifted her onto the counter. He tore her shirt and bra from her in one motion, his own shirt followed. Pulling in a breath he leaned forward and let their skin connect his entire body trembled from the contact. Ely pushed against his chest and he stumbled back shocked and shaking his head as if to clear it from a fog. Blue eyes freckled with white stared at her as she hopped off the counter and took a step away from him.

"Nallely." Samuel growled in frustration, what had he done now? His female was denying him, pushing him away. He stepped forward against his will.

Dark hair draped down her chest, she locked eyes with him and turned her back on him just a second before darting down the hall and into his bedroom. Sam gave chase catching her easily in the tiny dwelling.

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Once at the bedroom he picked her up and dropped her on the bed staring at her breasts as they shook with the motion of shimming herself into the center. He licked his lips at the thought of trapping her nipple between them.

The look on Samuel's face was driving her crazy as she ripped at the button and zipper on her jeans, he quickly did away with his pants and boxers then grabbed the bottom of hers and pulled them off. When the clothing was cast aside Ely gasped at finally seeing him completely naked and hard for her. There was just so much of him, he was everywhere, commanded the room, demanded her body and she knew she would willingly give it to this amazing creature as often as he wanted.

Samuel began kissing her ankles first, paying attention to each one equally before making his way to her knees, chuckling when his kisses made her giggle and cringe from being tickled. His hands led his lips every torturous inch. When he reached her thighs Ely pressed her head against the mattress and lifted her hips in anticipation of his mouth.

"Please Samuel, dear god please." She felt strong fingers gripping her hips and she stilled as he pressed her to the bed.

"Nallely, you smell so damn good." He rested his head on her leg and lessened the pressure on her hips, but when she started thrusting again he reapplied it.

"Samuel," it was a half whine, half moaning sound and if he hadn't thought it possible he actually got harder. He was ready to explode, he wanted to fuck her senseless but it would have to wait just another few minutes. Steadying himself against the call of her body he finally pressed his lips to her core. She cried out beneath him and he slid his tongue around her. Her fingers clung to his hair gripping tighter with each caress and when he slide his finger inside her lifting it slightly until her body arched in a way that told him he'd found the sweet spot inside. He growled against her turning his head to quickly nip her thigh, but ceasing the caresses he had been applying to her g-spot deep inside. The nip only furthered her arousal and when he glanced up her writhing body he couldn't resist letting his free hand reach up to her breasts and begin pulling at the nipples. She pressed his face into her even harder, finding a rhythm that would bring her over the edge, and as her walls tightened on him he knew it was coming faster than he wanted. He pulled his finger from her his other hand freeing his hair from the vice-like grip.

"What? Why? No, Samuel, don't…" He crawled up her body as she whimpered and kissed her. When they broke apart his arms were trembling. "Samuel, please, I'm begging you." Her nails clawed at his back and then his ass, she knew they were leaving marks, she could smell the blood, hell he'd heal before they were done, it didn't matter. What mattered was why he wouldn't fuck her and let her finish, she had been so close; almost at the edge and he had denied her.

"Nallely," he growled out, her nails sending tingles of fire through his body.

"What, what do you want? Why are you stopping?"

"Stop moving." He commanded her and she did as best as she could but her body wouldn't listen with him so close, so naked, so hot, she still squirmed but had stopped the scratching and thrusting.

"Nallely, I can't hold out much longer, if you could feel what I feel, what I'm fighting…" he was barely able to speak, bright white eyes lined in blue stared at her. "This is going to be…"

She grabbed his head and kissed him, "Samuel Cornick, I know what this is like. Now shut up and claim me." She kissed him again and he grabbed her hip possessively before slamming inside of her roughly. She cried out at the entry, it had been so long since she had had any man inside her and this was no ordinary man. Oh dear ancestors he was larger than her husband in every manner. He groaned from the assault on his senses; a combination of heat, softness, scent and wetness like nothing he had ever experienced. He pulled out quickly and reentered her deeper than before, "Dear god Ely," he moaned before sitting up on his knees. Her body spread out before him, black hair covering everything and dark tan skin shining with sweat as he pounded into her. Her hands reached out to his grabbing the wrists and using the leverage to force herself in his direction.

"Harder mate, please." She begged as he watched her full breasts bounce with their rhythm. She had no idea how strong he really was and while he granted her request it wasn't his full strength, a wolf mate would handle it, but she was still human, and he had to fight to remind both himself and the wolf who was in control of this ritual. Samuel tipped his head back and angled his cock into her hitting the spot he had found earlier. Her powerful legs squeezed around him and he could feel her tightening on him.

Leaning forward to get back on top of her he grabbed the back of her neck trapping her between the force of his hips and his arm. "Mine." He commanded pulling her hair so she stared in his eyes. "Mine."

"Yes."

"With…" he rolled his head above her as he forced out the word, "me."

"Yes, yes mate, so close."

Her moans became louder and she tightened around him even more knowing that she was finally being allowed to reach her climax and her body began shaking in anticipation for the tip over the edge. Samuel leaned into her neck opening his mouth and biting into the soft flesh at the top of her left collarbone. As he marked her Ely screamed into the room a white light flashing behind her closed eyelids and her entire body convulsing against him as she came. The thrusting slowed in tempo but not in depth and she whimpered between gasps while riding out their orgasms. As they came down he pushed inside of her making her feel as though she couldn't possibly fit all of him and held himself there while he gently licked the mark he had just given her. She hugged him, kissing his neck then chest, and anywhere else she could reach.

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"Nallely."

"Yes mate?" She gasped and shivered again in the aftermath as he pulled himself from inside her and stretched out. The absence of his heat stung her as the air conditioner kicked in above them and she rolled over to her stomach cuddling up close. "It's chilly in here." His eyes were blue again and half closed in his own afterglow; he groped around behind him until he caught a blanket to toss on them. She leaned in and kissed him as his fingers began the dance down her spine that was becoming so familiar she craved it when he was not around. "What did you want lover?"

"Are you…did…" his touch found the mark and he smiled at the raised flesh, "was I too…"

She laughed, "Silly wolf I'm fine. A bit sore, but that is more from not having had sex in over 2 years than from you being too rough. The mark is fine, it doesn't hurt; when you claimed me it was more like a tingle and then a jolt of pleasure, as if my orgasm started there a moment before it hit me elsewhere."

"I don't see one from your previous husband." He was tracing one of a dozen scars on her back now.

"Mmmm… no you wouldn't." She rested her head on her arms and started purring softly. "It disappeared the night he died. Wolf magic and all."

"What are these from? They look fresh."

"Ben, the night I ran into Mercy and Adam, he clawed me as I landed on him instead of the ground while shifting. I told you about this."

"You didn't tell me he hurt you."

"Oh, yeah that and the one on my ass from where he bit me." She lifted her bare bottom into the air a little and shook it. Fingertips lightly explored her rear and when he found the fresh scar in the shape of a wolf's bite he massaged it gently. The tender touch was deceptive though; the low rumble in his chest and the bitter smell coming from him told her as much. She couldn't help but smile at his protective and jealous reaction.

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She rolled to her side and pushed on his shoulder till he was on his back. Straddling him just below his cock she began to stroke it. "Don't be mad love, he was obeying his Alpha and got carried away. He's so young and not near as controlled as you are." He was instantly hard under her skilled hands as she complimented his ego.

"Mmmm, that's what I wanted." She lifted herself onto him and began rocking. "Now that you have claimed me, make love to me Samuel Cornick."

"Tell me something first, my Ely. Was it like last time you mated a wolf?" He quirked an eyebrow and cracked a grin when she rolled roughly and released an annoyed sigh.

"Not a fair question, but you do have about a thousand more years of experience. He was my first love though, and the father of my babies." She leaned forward, "You are different, you are older, more experienced, an adult love with different needs and expectations. It was better in different ways." She lifted her hips squeezing around him before sliding back onto him her eyes rolling. "Please don't ask me to compare you again."

"I won't." He answered through a pleasure filled moan, and he never would. Samuel was determined to let her set the pace for this round, but after over ten minutes of her torturous rocking and nails scratching down his chest he couldn't take it any longer. Keeping her impaled on his hard cock he sat up and flipped them over so he was on top. He began to set his own pace intent on torturing her just as she had him. His mouth alternated between each of her breasts nipping and pulling at the nipples and occasionally dragging his teeth roughly across the soft underside of them. Ely's breath quickened and her core tightened around him; pulling him inside of her with more force on each thrust.

"Ugh… fuck Samuel…yes." She moaned into the air grinding against him harder.

Samuel looked up at her gorgeous face beginning to contort with her release and froze. Ely gasped beneath him, "more mate, please more." His response was a loud angry growl as his head lifted higher from her tender breast. "What…Sam…" she twisted her head to look behind her and saw Adam and Mercy standing in the doorway to the room. Adam's hands were on Mercy's shoulders and he was quickly pushing her towards her room but refused to break his contact with Samuel. "Oh, no… no…" Ely exclaimed as she felt him pull from her but not reenter. Samuel's growl grew louder and Adam nodded to the wolf holding both hands up peacefully. As he moved to follow Mercy down the hall Samuel tensed and a faction of a second later was launching off the bed into the hall just past the doorframe.

"Samuel Cornick!" Mercy screamed at him from down the hall but he didn't acknowledge her.

"Mercy, stay out of this." Adam commanded.

Samuel was standing completely still, every muscle in his body tensed with readiness to attack. His chest heaved as pure white eyes stared down the male daring to interrupt him. His erection had not subsided at all and with his breathing it shined lightly from the moisture their mating had created. His growling became more intense and his fists began clenching.

"Samuel, I mean no interference. Mercy only needs to grab some things." Adam spoke calmly but gave no ground back to the other wolf.

"No, no, no, not again…not again." Ely jumped off the bed pulling the sheet with her and rushed between them both. "Samuel, mate, don't do this." She stepped towards him. "Please." Samuel didn't move from his lock on Adam so she stepped towards him again. "Please don't hate me for this." She took the sheet wrapped around her body and opened it in front of him raising it slowly so it would cut the line of sight he was trapped in. Once freed from the lock he shook his head and looked at the small woman in front of him with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please my love," she begged him, "please don't leave me alone again." The sheet trembled with her shaking hands and his face softened as he lifted her to him and pressed her to the wall. She wrapped her longs legs around his waist and he reentered her resuming their intense mating, "Mine." He growled out now completely focused back on pleasuring her. Once Adam disappeared into Mercy's room Sam carried his mate, still grinding herself against his cock back into the room to finish what they had started.

"You think he'd keep the door shut." Mercy's voice carried through the small trailer.

"Mercy, shut up." Ely yelled from their room, before pressing her head back and crying out in ecstasy as she and Sam came together.

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When she woke up in the morning Samuel was behind her feathering tender kisses on his mating mark. "Good morning my life."

"Good morning mate. Did you sleep well?"

He pulled her closer to him. "Better than ever before. Listen, I'm sorry about the way I acted when Adam and Mercy showed up."

She shook her head, "Shhh… it's okay lover. I understand, and I have to admit, you taking me against the wall, and claiming me in front of him was quite the turn on."

He chuckled as his cell phone beeped a text message to him. The message inside read, "Bring her to Aspen for the run tonight. D"

"Do you want to go to Aspen Creek for the moon run tonight? My father wants to meet you."

She nodded against him. "Yes, I'd like that. Let's get going soon… dibs on the shower first." She rushed out of the room to the tiny bathroom and the sound of running water filled the trailer.

"Forever anything for you my Nallely." He whispered into the room.


	18. Epilogue

This is the end of the tale. Remember there is sex in here. It is between the oooooooooo markers so if you don't want to read it just scroll to the next oooooooo and you will skip it without skipping a ton of story.

Enjoy!

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The years were good to Nallely and Samuel. Their mating bond increased strongly throughout their lives, granting Ely an extended lifetime. On the morning of their 75th anniversary, the night before the full moon in the month of October, Samuel awoke to find her sitting in bed. She kissed him with the same tenderness she did each morning. "Good morning my lover and mate." He smiled, caressed her cheek and responded, "Good morning my life." This was their morning routine since before they were married; even when not within physical reach this routine carried across phone lines to each other.

Ely slowly climbed out of the bed, her 115 years had been catching up to her recently. Samuel moved around the bed quickly and helped her to the kitchen, placing her in her seat before beginning to make their breakfast.

"Samuel my love." Ely spoke to him as his eternal body worked diligently at the stove. She loved this man so much that she often thought her heart would burst from happiness. He was perfection in every sense of the word, he had been since the first time she saw him at the pizzeria.

"Yes my life? What do you need."

"You dear."

He turned and looked at her, she looked at least 30 years younger than her ancient age, well for human standards she was very old. Her hair had lost its black color around 25 years ago, instead becoming a thick long mane of beautiful silver grey. It was the last part of her that changed to show her age. She held an arm out motioning him over.

"I need another kiss from the man who showed me the world." She smiled at him and tipped her chin up wantonly.

"Forever anything for you my love." He leaned in and kissed her surprised at the passion she delivered. His body sprung to life and tingled in anticipation, and he hated it for the fact that it was so eager to feel its mate in a manner that he consciously knew was no longer possible for her. His hand wrapped behind her neck and returned the passion. Without looking he placed the spatula on the table next to them and slipped his other arm around her waist and lifted her. By the time they had finished his eyes were nearly pure white and he gazed into hers green and violet orbs. "Forever anything." He kissed her again and then eased her back into the seat.

"Thank you mate." There was longing in her eyes, longing that her heart and soul still felt but her body no longer could keep pace with and she was torn apart wishing to feel his hardness inside her as he made her feel as though she was still as appealing as she was when they first met. She knew that the passion had surprised him and excited him. She was too old though, the last time they had made love he had injured her with his strength even though he was being so careful with her; she was no longer his match. She had quit kissing him so deeply soon after, feeling it unfair to excite him and then not be able to perform the joy of uniting with her mate.

"What would you like to do today my love?" Sam asked as he took a bite of his food.

"I was thinking we could sit on the porch overlooking the pond and watch the geese in flight."

He smiled; it had become one of her favorite things to do each fall.

"Of course."

When they finished he collected their dishes and made each of them a fresh glass of tea while she wandered out onto the porch carrying their quilt. He sat in the porch swing with her, one leg along the back and the other on the floor to keep them rocking, her slim body tucked into him fit as perfectly as a puzzle. Wrapped together in a blanket made with a square for each of their many children and grandchildren they spent several hours rocking and discussing their life, reliving their first days together. Just before dusk she turned and looked at him.

"Samuel my mate, the ancestors came to me last night, they want me to return to them. I would like to go on a run tonight, the night before the full moon." She patted his knee as his breathing increased and his heart raced. "It is okay my lover, we have known for several years I am walking on borrowed time now. I have even outlived my sweet May. Please let us go on a run tonight."

Samuel wrapped his deceptively youthful arms around her although his entire body was shaking. "Of course my love, where would you like to go?"

"To our hill, I wish to sit on our hill with you one last time."

"Your wish is all I need." He gracefully stood, lifting her at the same time and carried her inside.

He wasted no time and did not bother to gather anything extra. He helped her put on her shoes and although she was not incapable of these things, he so thoroughly enjoyed doing them for her that even her pride was not strong enough to take the enjoyment from him. They walked outside and began moving towards their hill. Around half way there her steps faltered and he caught her lifting her light body in his arms again and carrying her the rest of the way.

When they reached the hill it was dark, but the nearly full moon lit the hilltop brilliantly. Mother Luna sung softly on the wind to Samuel, her promise of tomorrow's change flowing in his veins. Nallely began to undo the buttons of the simple house gown she was wearing and Samuel followed her lead. When she was fully nude she stood in front of him watching him finish his undressing. When he matched her nudity she stepped forward pressing her body to his and taking his offered hands as they began their annual dance under the moon. Together they both began to quietly sing the song she had sung to him the first time she had danced with him on this hill.

_Well, its a marvelous night for a moondance  
With the stars up above in your eyes  
A fantabulous night to make romance  
neath the cover of october skies  
And all the leaves on the trees are falling  
To the sound of the breezes that blow  
And Im trying to please to the calling  
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low  
And all the nights magic seems to whisper and hush  
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush_

Chorus:  
Can I just have one a more moondance with you, my love  
Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love

Well, I wanna make love to you tonight  
I cant wait til the morning has come  
And I know that the time is just right  
And straight into my arms you will run  
And when you come my heart will be waiting  
To make sure that you're never alone  
There and then all my dreams will come true, dear  
There and then I will make you my own  
And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside  
And I know how much you want me that you cant hide

When they finished she looked into the blue eyes that had pulled her from the darkness so long ago. "Samuel my love, I need you to swear one thing to me tonight."

Barely able to speak he choked out a single word, "Yes?" Tears dripped down his cheeks.

"Samuel my mate, I need you to promise that you will carry on, that you will watch our children and all of our lineage in the future. Swear to me my mate that for me you will not falter in their protection." She stepped into him and placed a hand over his heart. "When the time is right, take another mate," her tears slide down his chest, "let me know that you will have someone there to care for you."

Samuel dropped to the ground in front of her his face pressing to her stomach, the glorious womb that had delivered him the family that for centuries he thought he would never have. "Nallely, I.. I can't make that promise. The children yes, but to take another?"

She ran her fingers through his hair. "Oh my pigheaded Samuel, you can, and because I am asking you, you will, perhaps not this year or the next or in ten, but when you and your wolf are ready you will find another mate and let her care for you." She pulled his face in her direction. "Although, I can promise you, she will never love you as deeply as I have."

He pressed his face to her again gripping her so closely he was afraid he may break her. "I promise that if I do, she will never compare to you." It was the best he could offer her in that moment. He inhaled deeply taking in her scent, her skin, her sweetness, the perfume that even though they no longer made love still rested between her legs and was only ever for him. In that moment he understood his father as he never had before, he understood why Leah was there and why she was necessary and he no longer had anger towards the woman. He knew that the bitterness she felt towards Blue Jay Woman would be the same any future mate he took would feel towards Nallely.

"Thank you my love." She stood still for several minutes before speaking again. "Now, let us shift together one last time." He nodded against her belly and stood. As he began his change Ely's eyes turned colors for a final time as she pulled on her powers then pushed them forward into Samuel. He changed almost instantly and painlessly with her help as they had done so many times in the past. She ran her fingers through his fur and scratched him behind the ear taking in his wolf, he was glorious as he sat before her patiently, his thick coat shone in the moon reflecting the beams so well he nearly burnt her eyes with his beauty. Nallely dropped to her hands and knees for her own change. It took much longer than it had in the past and exhausted her to a point of near collapsing when she was done. She stood still, panting for several minutes as a nervous wolf lent her his body for support and licked her neck softly; never stopping just as promised so long ago.

When she had energy she slowly walked in a circle around a worn spot at the peak of the hill. This spot was the spot they had laid in hundreds of times together; their imprint on the earth apparent. Once she settled on the spot Samuel stepped up behind her and wrapped his massive white body around hers. Her tail flicked slowly in time with their breathing. With her face resting on his paws she watched the small animals timidly working their way to the bank of the pond in pursuit of a drink. This was their final run together; of course there was no actual running. Her aged body could not keep time with his supernatural youth, but neither of them ever spoke of it and Samuel never indicated that he would have anything else.

Ely began to purr and Samuel leaned in close to her memorizing the sound and breathing in the scent of her, mountains after the rain, sandlewood, and lion. Her ear tips and tail had long ago turned grey like her hair and her red brown fur had become more sand colored. None of that mattered to Samuel though; it was her heart and mind that had captured him a lifetime ago. She turned her head slowly and smiled as best as she could then licked him softly on his muzzle. Her head returned to its place on his paws and the purr restarted.

They laid together for the entire night the moon and stars shining upon them. An hour before dawn long after she had fallen asleep and the purring had stopped Samuel felt an emptiness hit his pack bonds. Lying in the moonlight he listened closely to her and after several seconds admitted what the pack bond and now his mating bond were telling him, her heart had stopped. He gently nudged her knowing it was a fruitless act and once his mind accepted what his entire being already knew he rose upon shaking legs pitched back his head and cried to the moon in all her glory.

The call was answered from as far as the winds would carry, first his father's voice, then his brother's, and eventually their children that had undergone the change. With every breath of his being he carried out the long sounds continuing until he no longer could from the hoarseness in his throat. Holding his muzzle to hers he gave her one last soft lick before stepping back several feet.

With supernatural strength and a broken heart Samuel began pawing at the earth digging as feverously as he could. Within an hour he had dug a hole large enough to hold her and deep enough to allow Mother Earth to protect her daughter, his beloved. As if she were a delicate butterfly Samuel picked up his mate in his jaws and carried her to her final resting place. He knew no scavenger would come to disturb her; their predator scents had long ago scared the animals from their hill. In his heart he said a prayer to the Earth to accept back the gift he had been given and swore upon what remained of his soul that he would one day join her again for another run on the hill. As efficiently as he could, his body straining with each pull of his paw, he buried his lover, his mate, and his friend. Once finally covered and as the morning sun's rays began to light the hill to indicate the beginning of a new day Samuel kicked back his head and cried for his love.

He stared at the small mound as he shifted back to his human form and talked to her as he dressed. He collected her shoes and her gown and began the walk back to their home.

When he arrived home his lawn was covered with the wolf and human forms of the pack and their mates. As he reached the driveway a reddish wolf with black tipped ears and tail slowly walked up to him. The form started to shift and within but a few heartbeats stood his oldest son Derrick. Derrick was moon born, a natural wolf like his Uncle Charles but with a unique set of abilities. An eagle on the roof glided to the driveway and shifted to his daughter Isabelle. A large bear that had been lying against the garage shifted into their youngest son Lucas. Derrick had stopped aging in his 20s but Isabelle and Lucas were beginning to show their ages. Isabelle's hair and feathers were beginning to turn grey like Nallely's had and Lucas was losing some of his energy. In total Nallely and Sam had been gifted with two walker children, the wolf son, and four human children Tobias, Jacob, Athena, and Eve. Tobias and Eve had attempted the change and succeeded. They all stood together with their father in the driveway of the home that was the center of their lives.

"Dad?" Derrick gasped as he looked at the gown.

"I have buried her on the hill as she wanted. Do not be ashamed to show emotion my children, to not mourn the greatest woman to walk this Earth would dishonor her more than anything else."

Derrick nodded and fell to his knees shifting back into his wolf form, his sister and brother followed suit bear and eagle joining the group again. Like his father had on the hill he sounded the call for his mother and was joined by every voice in range. Isabelle took flight and began a slow circling of the house occasionally stalling her wings to dip low to the ground as she cried with the others for her mother. Whether human, wolf, bear or eagle the sounds rang out for miles.

Samuel walked to the front door and opened it standing aside for the entire group to enter. They slowly did each bowing in turn and casting their eyes respectfully to the ground. His brother's mate Anna walked towards Samuel with open arms and he stepped back from her.

"It is not you Anna, but I would never make light of her by lessening my own pain. Please do not." Anna the Omega nodded and passed through the door.

The last one of the group was his own father still in human form. Bran stood looking at his son and wrapped his arms around him hugging him.

"What of you my son? Will you join her?"

"Yes father, I will. Someday I will join my mate on the hill, but for now I must fulfill her death wish as she requested of me. It has always been and will forever be anything for her."

Bran looked into the white eyes of his son and nodded. He understood the emotions and the promise that had been made because nearly 300 years ago he had made a similar promise to Blue Jay Woman, his one true mate, who still rested under their tree in the woods waiting for him to join her.

Samuel entered the house and headed to their bedroom. Forms of all shapes and sizes lined the way waiting to follow him wherever he led. Once inside he gingerly placed his wife's gown on the vanity next to a faded porcelain butter dish. His fingers brushed the top of the porcelain as visions of a candle lit dinner came to mind. A dinner that changed his life and made him happier than he ever though he could be when she announced she was pregnant.

(Flashback)

_When he had gotten home dinner was on the table a cast iron candelabra in the center. Moving behind her he pulled long her hair aside and licked her neck just under her ear following it with a kiss. His large hands slide to her hips and he began swaying her softly._

"Good evening my love, how was your day?" He could smell his lion mixed with the aromas of what promised to be a delicious meal.

She leaned her head back on his shoulder surrendering her neck to him and he kissed it again. "Wonderful my Samuel. I picked some fresh vegetables from the garden to go with dinner. The sun was warm and the cool breeze sent tingles down my back each time it kissed me."

He smiled at her description and with feigned hurt inquired, "You were kissing another?"

She laughed and turned in his arms to deliver her own smile. "Only the wind my dear and even you cannot deny nature her impulses."

He quirked an eyebrow at her while they swayed to a song they had both memorized and need not actually hear. "Very well my dear." He spun her in a quick circle before dipping her into a kiss. There was nothing on this Earth that made him more at peace than seeing her smile and for him she always would. He stood her back up and moved away. "I'm going to wash up."

When he returned she was sitting at the table waiting for him, slipping past her for a quick kiss before he sat he smelt something odd on her, she was nervous about something. He ignored the emotion, knowing that she would eventually tell him what was disturbing her. She served him his food and he recognized the menu, a filet with a béarnaise sauce, the same thing she had eaten on their first date nearly7 years before.

"What's the occasion?" He asked as he in turn served her some vegetables.

"I love you." She answered and handed him a roll.

"I love you too. Forever."

Samuel looked around the table his eyes searching.

"What's missing?" She asked.

"The butter." He replied and started to get up.

"I'll get it for you." She got up and grabbed a porcelain butter dish placing it in front of him. His nose picked up her nervousness again and he crinkled his brow. What was wrong with his mate?

"New dish?" He asked absently.

"Yeah, I thought it was pretty." She smiled and sat back down watching him.

"It is." He agreed and opened the dish; his entire body going stiff. He set the lid down and moved his face closer looking at the small white stick that had taken up residence where butter should live. He looked at her, her hands clenched onto her napkin as though it was a life line, tears threatening her eyes. He looked at the stick again and read the digital display showing a single word,' _pregnant__.' Before she could begin to say whatever she had opened her mouth to say he was on her, lifting her from her seat. He moved them down the large table that was only ever used in the two spots and sat her there. As he kissed her his fingers flew down the front of her shirt undoing the buttons, exposing her flesh to him. He knelt on the floor and stared at her stomach glancing at her eyes occasionally then back to her stomach again a hand on each hip he ran his thumbs under her navel._

"Tell me... are you positive." he asked quietly.

He could feel her body shake as she nodded and answered. "It has been over a month since my last cycle, I figured it was something menopausal, but on an off chance I took a test this morning since I was feeling a bit light headed the last few days. Then I took about 20 more." she chuckled. "I even had Anna come over and read them all. I think she thought I was having a breakdown when I called her. She is bursting at the seams not telling Charles." she laughed again. "She sent me a text while you were washing up begging to tell him and I told her to wait an hour yet." She was babbling she was so nervous that he would accept this, she knew he would in her mind, but in her heart she was still nervous.

"Nallely, you're positive?" He said as if he hadn't heard a thing she said; he had she just hadn't answered directly.

She placed her hand under his chin and pulled his eye upwards. "Unless 21 tests in a row are wrong then yes my lover and mate. I'm positive."

They had never discussed children except more than a passing thought. He never wanted to push the topic, her past losses had hurt her so much. 

_._

_._

_Oooooooooo Skip this section for the PG version_

_._

_._

_He looked in her green and violet eyes and his hands slid under her loose skirt. Starting at her ankles he navigated her legs as he had so many times before grinning as he reached her hips and remembered the fight they had had that caused her to stop wearing undergarments altogether. _

_The sudden memory had made Sam harder than he was just from touching her skin. He pulled her closer to the edge of the table and kissed her stomach letting his tongue dance in circles around her belly. She giggled at the tickling. He worked his way up her body spending an extensive amount of time on each of her breasts. Her quiet whimpers and moans increased the longer he held himself there. He knew she loved when he worshipped her breasts, when he lingered and gave them the full attention they deserved and tonight she would melt in his arms from the pleasure he would gift her miraculous body; he could think of no other way to thank her for her gift._

_Her legs spread for him and one hooked behind his back pulling him closer. She removed his shirt and began working on his pants as she pulled him into a deep kiss. Nails scratched down his bare chest just as he liked and she felt his temperature rise against her. With skilled hands she began to stroke his cock in time with their kisses alternating between long and soft and quick rough pulls. His body tensed and she moved her hand to his neck pulling from the kiss and connecting their eyes. _

_As he stared into hers his hands moved to her hips spreading her legs further and placing himself at the tip of her entrance. His teeth pulled on her lower lip and his own face turned into a grin that she had lovelingly named, "The Ravisher." She had told him that this particular grin only ever arrived in the moments before he was going to fuck her silly and the sight of it made her pant with need. She tried to slide onto him but he continued to keep the contact slight drawing out her anticipation. With a quick wink as a warning he dug his fingers into her hips and slammed inside of her with supernatural strength. It had taken her over a year to build him to this point; one where he felt safe using his power, realizing that he would not break her body. Samuel never just slammed into her like some juvenile boy, no this wolf knew how to move to please his mate and at this height he was in the perfect position as it was. He began rolling his hips shoving himself inside of her further being sure to hit the spot that he knew would make her cry out. Her nails dug deeper into his shoulders as she worked her stomach to match his thrusts. _

_Her head tipped back and his mouth found its way to her breasts again lavishing the nipples as she rode him. He let his teeth grab a hold and her cries became so loud under him that with the windows open on this cool November evening the neighbors, both wolves, knew exactly what was going on in the house tonight. The thought that others knew he was ravishing the most amazing creature in the world and that those cries were for him alone spurred him on even more and he ground harder into her._

"_Come with me my mate." Samuel said to her and used his large hands to tilt her hips at the angle that would cause her clit to hit his pelvis working her both inside and out. Those she had told him were the best orgasms she could have and tonight she would have it or he would die trying._

_Strong fingers wrapped themselves into the hair at the base of his head and she pulled him to her gaze where he could see her eyes flipping between their natural colors and the magical one. He could have died in her arms right then, seeing the look that meant she had lost herself so deeply her magic had begun to roll through her in waves. She smirked back at him and he felt every muscle of her core tighten around him as she began to come. With one final thrust he joined her pulling her toward him and biting into her shoulder over their mating mark. He didn't break the skin, he didn't need to, the flesh was sensitive with wolf magic. They rode out the orgasm together for several minutes; continuous thrusting on his part made her twitch under him. Finally she released her grip on him and fell back onto the cool wood table trying to catch her breath._

"_So," she reached forward and ran her fingers along his abs. "I guess I should take that as you are happy?"_

_Samuel collapsed on top of her the table groaning at his added weight. "Oh my Nallely, forever and always."_

.

.

Oooooooooooooooooo

.

.

Samuel stripped off his clothes as his father, in wolf form, entered and laid himself at the foot of the bed. Once Samuel had climbed in the bed his children followed, joining their grandfather on the floor around the bed. The remainder of the room was filled by Charles, Anna, and the rest of the pack. No one, not even Sam and Ely's children dared to enter the bed with him.

He covered himself with their blankets feeling the cool sheets slide on his skin as her scent wrapped around him, this bed had been so much to them. They had made love here thousands of times, happy, angry, comforting, healing love and it was in this bed that she laid with each of their newborn children, feeding them from her glorious body.

(Flashback)

_He was in the driveway after work and his wolf hearing could detect his crying newborns. A sudden flair of protection called forward but he knew they were not in danger, only doing what newborns do. It wasn't until he entered the house that he heard his mate's quiet crying. When he peered into the bedroom she was seated in the center with the three babies in front of her looking at them as they cried. Red eyes looked up to him and he carefully worked his way behind her and began rubbing her shoulders._

"_Is there something wrong mate?" _

_She sniffled and wiped her nose. "No."_

"_Then why are you crying?"_

"_I'm worried."_

"_About?" He leaned in and brushed his lips over his mating mark._

"_The babies. I was feeding them and I started to worry about what would happen if I ran out of milk for them." She reached out to each baby, first Bran, then Isabella, and then Derrik, she kissed each one and whispered her love and promised she would never run out of food for them. "What if I run out Samuel, what if as they grow my body can't produce enough milk to feed them?" She started crying again her whole body filled with tremors. Samuel wrapped his arms around her. _

"_My love, most humans have one child to feed, maybe two, three children is a massive undertaking. If it begins to be too much for you then we will move them to formula and baby food as they should be." He rubbed her thigh softly._

_She cried harder, "But if I fail this then what else will I fail? If I can't give them food so young." She made a huffing sound. "I know I'm being ridiculous but I really am…" He interrupted her and turned her face to his._

"_Then we will feed them together and raise them together. You are not doing this alone my life, my mate. We are doing this."_

_She breathed a sigh of relief and kissed her husband. _

(end flashback)

As he rolled over to bury himself in her he reached out to the emptiness and found only her pillow to pull close. Unable to think of what to do next he did what he had done every night they had slept together, he inhaled deeply trusting his instincts to find her and they did. He whispered to himself and felt the bed move as his father looked over the edge.

"Like Mountains after the rain, Da. Mountains after the rain."

With that final sentence Samuel Cornick, Son of Bran Cornick the Marrok of North America let loose his strength and his power, his wolf did not care who saw or if he was viewed as weak for he knew he was not and he knew there was no shame in mourning the loss of his world. Tears and emotions flowing freely he declared his love repeatedly and cried into their marriage bed. His last thought as he drifted into restless sleep was that he knew that whatever the future would bring, this woman, his mate had been worth the centuries of waiting.

The end!


End file.
